to walk free
18
4.5
- phrasal verb
:
quedar en libertad
- After the trial, the judge decided to let the defendant walk free without any further punishment.
- killers walk free
- guilty walk free
- let walk free
That sentence which if if his move is approved, the brothers could walk free in a matter of weeks.
- That sentence which if if his move is approved, the brothers could walk free in a matter of weeks.
- Simply put, the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office was ready to let Epstein walk free.
- The judge slammed his gavel and said, Miss Murphy, if you keep talking, I'm going to dismiss the charges and this man will walk free.
- Now they are saying like we can get you El Mayo, we can get you this and that from Sinaloa Cartel if you let us walk free.
- So what she she snitches on everyone walks free to the people she's ratting out control all the alphabet agencies like she's done.
Examples
-
The man who unlawfully killed him was allowed to walk free.
Blog text (27) -
A few of his murder defendants walked free.
Academic text (2011) -
I want them to walk free in their own land.
-
And you let him walk free.
-
So we're just gonna let her walk free?
-
Many people have given their lives, so we can all walk free.
-
Does that mean you're gonna let me walk free?
-
You'll walk free out of here, today.
-
Meanwhile, two murderers still walk free.
Fiction book (1999) -
Another paedophile was allowed to walk free.
Blog text (33)
Synonyms
786
4.1
To avoid being punished for something you did wrong
218
2.7
To let a person or animal go after keeping them in a place where they could not leave
71
3.4
Have permission to leave a place where you were kept, usually after being arrested or accused
Antonyms
155
3.9
A situation in which someone is kept and not allowed to leave, often by police until a decision is made
How Free
18
4.5
- Informal
42
4.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is largely compositional: 'walk' (leave or move on foot) combined with 'free' (not restrained) naturally suggests leaving without restraint. However, the specific legal/punitive nuance of 'being allowed to leave without punishment' is a pragmatic extension that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Walk free paints a clear image: someone taking a walk out of a courtroom or prison while being free, not held or tied up. That's why today walk free means 'to be allowed to leave without punishment'.