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Glite Dictionary
😏 To avoid punishment 🏖️ To take a break 🏃 To escape
to get away

to get away

374 3.2
To go away from work or home to rest and relax
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡɛt əˈweɪ/
translation icon : escaparse
  • It's so nice to be able to get away from the city.
  • want to get away

The first step was actually getting away from all the triggers.

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Examples

  • So we finally got away and it was fabulous.

  • I want to get away for a while, go on a trip maybe.

    This Could Be the Night (1957)

  • Force yourself to get away for at least one day.

    The Math Sorcerer

  • I got to get away from the city.

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • You just need to get away from the city lights and take a look.

  • Really try and get away from it as quickly as you can.

  • I'll be back just as soon as I can get away.

    Waterloo Bridge (1931)

  • Maybe they needed a short vacation, needed to get away in order to gain some perspective.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • It's a place to get away from stress and let your imagination run free.

    Academic text (2008)

  • After a stressful week, I just want to get away to the beach for a few days.

Synonyms

to leave
vsto get away
∞ 1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

emphasizes leaving routine to rest or enjoy rather than general absence
to get out
vsto get away
∞ 1.0

Leave a place or situation

specifically means leaving usual life to relax or enjoy a break
to go away
vsto get away
709 1.0

To leave a place or person and go somewhere else

is used for leaving mainly to relax and have a pleasurable break
to take off
vsto get away
273 3.2

To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else

focuses on taking a leisurely break from routine for pleasure
to retreat
vsto get away
235 4.0

To move back from a place or plan to avoid danger

is aimed at leaving routine to relax and enjoy oneself
to depart
vsto get away
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

stresses leaving routine for relaxation rather than formal travel reasons
to escape
vsto get away
103 1.3

To leave your daily life to rest and relax

is about leaving routine specifically to relax or take a break
to let loose
vsto get away
  • Informal
12 3.9

Relax and enjoy yourself without worrying

means physically leaving usual surroundings to rest rather than just relaxing
to break away
vsto get away
11 3.9

To stop doing something usual to try something new

involves leaving daily routines mainly to rest or have fun
to run away from it all
vsto get away
  • Informal
4.8

Escape everyday problems and stress by leaving for a while

is used for leaving normal life mainly to relax or enjoy

Antonyms

to remain
∞ 1.0

To stay in the same place or state and not change

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

How Relaxing

retreat
55 6.0
to get away
374 3.2
to jaunt
1 5.1

Surface Forms

get away infinitive
getting away present participle
gets away third person singular
got away past
got away past participle

Morphology

get + away

The meaning 'avoid being caught or punished' is a conventionalized, metaphorical extension of the literal 'get' + 'away' sense of escaping. A B1 learner who knows 'get' and 'away' can likely infer a general idea of 'escape' but may not predict the specific collocation 'get away with' and its legal/punishment nuance without prior exposure, so the relation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Get away comes from the idea of leaving your usual place to go away for a rest; imagine packing a small bag and travelling to the countryside for a few days. So it means 'to take a break'.