Meaning
- Get away with means to do something wrong or dishonest without being punished or facing consequences.
- It often implies escaping blame, criticism, or punishment.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: phrasal verb (inseparable)
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Structure: get away with + noun/verb-ing
- Example: He got away with cheating.
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Cannot be separated: you cannot say get away it with.
Common Phrases
- get away with murder – do something very bad without being punished
- see what you can get away with – test limits to see what is tolerated
Collocations
- get away with + crime/mistake
- get away with + lying/cheating/stealing
- get away with + behavior/action
Examples
- He cheated on the test but got away with it.
- The thief got away with stealing a valuable painting.
- You can’t get away with being late every day.
- She told a lie and surprisingly got away with it.
- Kids sometimes try to see what they can get away with at school.
- He often gets away with saying rude things because people think he’s funny.
- The company tried to get away with breaking the law, but they were caught.
Synonyms or Related
- escape punishment
- avoid consequences
- get off (informal)
Antonym
- be caught
- be punished
- face consequences