Escape definition

(1) The act of escaping physically

"He made his escape from the mental hospital"

"The canary escaped from its cage"

"His flight was an indication of his guilt"

(2) A means or way of escaping

"Hard work was his escape from worry"

"They installed a second hatch as an escape"

"Their escape route"

(3) An avoidance of danger or difficulty

"That was a narrow escape"

(4) An inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy

"Romantic novels were her escape from the stress of daily life"

"His alcohol problem was a form of escapism"

(5) Nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do

"His evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible"

"That escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive"

(6) A valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler); it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous level

(7) The unwanted discharge of a fluid from some container

"They tried to stop the escape of gas from the damaged pipe"

"He had to clean up the leak"

(8) A plant originally cultivated but now growing wild

(9) Issue or leak, as from a small opening

"Gas escaped into the bedroom"

(10) Fail to experience

"Fortunately, I missed the hurricane"

(11) Escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action

"She gets away with murder!"

"I couldn't get out from under these responsibilities"

(12) Run away from confinement

"The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison"

(13) Flee; take to one's heels; cut and run

"If you see this man, run!"

"The burglars escaped before the police showed up"

(14) Remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion

"We escaped to our summer house for a few days"

"The president of the company never manages to get away during the summer"

(15) Be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by

"What you are seeing in him eludes me"