1
as in fleeing
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
everyone managed to escape from the burning building in time
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avoiding
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
a judge who is very determined not to let criminals escape punishment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of escaping
Later, Hamilton parts the sea on his kick scooter, speedily escaping from the hectic press area.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
The magistrate and her elderly mother were held for 30 hours in a garage in southern France’s Drôme region before escaping, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Between studying the Talmud and running from the Cossacks, the Jewish children escaping to America had not had much time for play.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The flood of immigrants who settled in the area were a motley crew – clannish Scandinavians, Germans, Irish Catholics escaping famine, Yankees from New England, Black refugees from the segregated South, Mexican workers seeking a better life.
—Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
And farther off, toward the mountains, the Cimarronaje—the settlements of the Black Seminoles and Mascogos who, on escaping slavery, became colonists of a territory that asked for their protection in exchange for ownership.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
The multi-vehicle pile-up that ensues might go even dumber than a Rusko drop, yet there’s no escaping the anxiety that remains in the static hiss that closes the track.
—James Gui, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Alas, escaping through the forest in the snow, Elisabeta is killed in an ambush.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
An inmate has been recaptured after escaping from a Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office laundry facility on Tuesday, the second escape from custody this week.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
The magistrate and her elderly mother were held for 30 hours in a garage in southern France’s Drôme region before escaping, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Between studying the Talmud and running from the Cossacks, the Jewish children escaping to America had not had much time for play.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The flood of immigrants who settled in the area were a motley crew – clannish Scandinavians, Germans, Irish Catholics escaping famine, Yankees from New England, Black refugees from the segregated South, Mexican workers seeking a better life.
—Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
And farther off, toward the mountains, the Cimarronaje—the settlements of the Black Seminoles and Mascogos who, on escaping slavery, became colonists of a territory that asked for their protection in exchange for ownership.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
The multi-vehicle pile-up that ensues might go even dumber than a Rusko drop, yet there’s no escaping the anxiety that remains in the static hiss that closes the track.
—James Gui, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Alas, escaping through the forest in the snow, Elisabeta is killed in an ambush.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
An inmate has been recaptured after escaping from a Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office laundry facility on Tuesday, the second escape from custody this week.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escaping
Verb
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In between people fleeing their homes and a severe financial crisis, many abandoned their pets.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Her grandparents, Edward and Sallie Bryant, emigrated from Kentucky in 1880 along with tens of thousands of other Exoduster families fleeing the racial violence and economic exploitation of the post-Civil War South.—
Elijah Winkler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The battery is reported to retain more than 90 percent of its driving range even at –40 degrees Celsius, avoiding the sharp winter degradation commonly associated with both LFP and nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Sokolowski also recommends avoiding misting your refrigerator with water directly—always apply it to a microfiber cloth first.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wasserman has previously admitted to flying with Epstein on the financier’s private plane on a trip to Africa with Maxwell and former President Clinton.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Winter Olympic athletes, particularly those who compete in events that involve flying down a mountain or icy track at breakneck speeds, are not exactly known for self-preservation instincts.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
He was also charged with evading arrest the same day.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The teen was arrested on suspicion of crimes including assaulting a person with a semi-automatic firearm, brandishing a firearm, negligently discharging a firearm, evading a peace officer and driving under the influence of alcohol, the sheriff’s office said.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escaping. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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