escape
escape — verb
1. to break free from confinement, whether a jail, cage, locked room, or any locati
to break free from confinement, whether a jail, cage, locked room, or any location where someone or something has kept you trapped.
João escaped from the prison by digging a tunnel under the wall.
escape + from + [place of confinement]
The bird escaped its cage when Sofie left the door open.
escape + noun phrase (direct object — cage/prison)
Hamza and his brother escaped from the soldiers who had taken them.
A small dog escaped from the garden and ran into the street.
The prisoners tried to escape at night while the guards were asleep.
- be captured
the opposite outcome — being caught after trying to escape
- be trapped
the state of being unable to leave
文法句型
escape + from + [place/person]
escape + noun phrase (cage/prison/captor)
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'from' when specifying the place of confinement. In news reports about prisoners or animals, this is the most common sense.
常見錯誤
2. to leave behind a setting, routine, or relationship that makes you feel trapped
to leave behind a setting, routine, or relationship that makes you feel trapped or unhappy, sometimes just briefly.
Ritu escaped the noise of the city by taking walks in the forest.
escape + [unwanted situation] + by + gerund
The children escaped their strict aunt for a few hours of playtime.
Gabriel wanted to escape the pressure of his job for a while.
Mizuki often escapes her daily worries by reading novels late at night.
- get away from
more informal, common in everyday speech
- leave behind
suggests you deliberately stop being part of something
- be stuck with
informal, the feeling of being unable to leave
- face
to deal with something instead of avoiding it
文法句型
escape + from + [situation/person/place]
escape + noun phrase (noise/pressure/routine)
用法筆記
Often takes an object that is a situation or environment rather than a physical location. Common in expressions about taking a break from routine or responsibilities.
常見錯誤
3. to manage not to be affected or harmed by something unpleasant or dangerous, suc
to manage not to be affected or harmed by something unpleasant or dangerous, such as injury, punishment, or criticism.
Lakan escaped serious injury when the tree fell beside his car.
escape + [harm/danger] — narrowly avoid something bad
The driver escaped a fine because the police did not see him.
Ayana escaped punishment by explaining what had really happened.
The cat narrowly escaped being hit by a speeding bicycle.
文法句型
escape + noun phrase (injury/fine/punishment/death)
escape + being + past participle
用法筆記
The object is always something negative — injury, punishment, criticism, death, or a similar harm. Often used with 'narrowly' to emphasise that the danger came very close.
常見錯誤
4. to avoid being seen, heard, or remembered by someone; to go without being notice
to avoid being seen, heard, or remembered by someone; to go without being noticed or understood.
The small mistake escaped the teacher's attention during the exam.
escape + [person's] + attention/notice
João tried to escape his mother's notice by slipping out the back door.
The meaning of the poem escaped Marco completely on the first reading.
A key detail escaped the detective during the initial investigation.
文法句型
escape + [person's] + attention/notice/memory
escape + [person] (meaning not be seen or understood)
用法筆記
The subject is often not a person — it can be a detail, fact, mistake, sound, or name. The person who fails to notice or remember is the object. This sense does not use 'from'.
常見錯誤
5. to hit a computer key, usually marked 'Esc', which takes you back to an earlier
to hit a computer key, usually marked 'Esc', which takes you back to an earlier screen, shuts a pop-up box, or halts an activity.
When the game froze, Élise pressed Escape to go back to the main menu.
press Escape to return / exit
You can escape the full-screen mode by tapping the Esc key twice.
Brandon hit the Escape button quickly to dismiss the pop-up window.
The student pressed the Esc key twice to close the error message.
文法句型
press Escape / press Esc
escape + to + [screen/view]
用法筆記
Only used in computing contexts. The key is commonly referred to as 'Escape' or 'Esc' in instructions and on keyboards.
6. in computer programming, to place a special symbol before a character so that th
in computer programming, to place a special symbol before a character so that the computer treats it as plain text rather than as a command or special instruction.
Esme used a backslash to escape the quotation mark inside the text string.
escape + [character] with [symbol]
You must escape special characters like dollar signs in shell commands.
The programmer forgot to escape the backslash in the file path code.
In Python, you escape a newline character by writing a backslash before the letter n.
文法句型
escape + [character/symbol] + with/in + [symbol]
用法筆記
Only relevant in programming and markup languages. The backslash (\) is the most common escape symbol in many languages, though some use other characters.
7. to come out of a pipe, container, or enclosed space through a crack, hole, or we
to come out of a pipe, container, or enclosed space through a crack, hole, or weak point
Gas escaped from the cracked pipe in the kitchen, so Mert opened all the windows.
escape + from + container (intransitive)
Smoke was slowly escaping through a small hole near the fireplace.
Air escaped from the bicycle tyre after Takeshi hit a sharp stone on the road.
When Élise opened the old bottle, a faint hiss meant the gas had escaped.
文法句型
escape + from/through/into + container or opening
用法筆記
Subject is typically a gas, liquid, or smell moving through a small opening. Commonly used with the prepositions from, through, or into.
常見錯誤
8. If a sound, word, or breath escapes you, it leaves your mouth even though you di
If a sound, word, or breath escapes you, it leaves your mouth even though you did not mean to make or say it.
A tired sigh escaped Eleni's lips as she finally sat down after hours of work.
escape + person's lips (sound as grammatical subject)
A quiet laugh escaped Jude before he could stop himself during the meeting.
When the doctor touched his injured arm, a groan escaped Ryan's father.
A curse word escaped Christopher's mouth, and he was ashamed immediately.
Hoa stayed completely still, but a gasp escaped her when the spider moved.
文法句型
escape + person/lips/mouth (sound or word as subject)
用法筆記
In this sense, the grammatical subject is the sound, word, or breath that comes out — not the person who produces it. (A sigh escaped her, not She escaped a sigh.)
常見錯誤
escape — noun
1. the act or process of getting free from a place where you are trapped, or from a
the act or process of getting free from a place where you are trapped, or from a dangerous or unpleasant situation
After three months, the prisoner made a daring escape by climbing over the wall at midnight.
collocation: make an escape
Defne had a narrow escape when a tree branch crashed onto the pavement right behind her.
collocation: narrow escape
A tunnel escape from the camp required months of work with simple tools.
The family's lucky escape from the burning house was shown on the evening news.
Putri's escape from the kidnappers involved hiding inside a delivery truck for hours.
- capture
the opposite outcome — being caught after trying to escape
- confinement
the state of being kept in a limited space
文法句型
escape from + place/situation
make + an escape
常見錯誤
2. a situation in which gas, liquid, or steam accidentally flows out of a pipe or c
a situation in which gas, liquid, or steam accidentally flows out of a pipe or container through a crack or hole
A gas escape from the old pipe forced the entire street to be evacuated at dawn.
escape of + gas
The plumber discovered a small escape of water behind the kitchen wall on Friday.
escape of + liquid
Constanza reported a chemical escape from the factory to the local fire department.
An escape of steam from the broken valve made a loud hissing noise in the boiler room.
- containment
the successful prevention of a substance from escaping
文法句型
escape of + gas/liquid/steam
用法筆記
This sense is most often used for the accidental release of gas, steam, or liquid from pipes, tanks, or industrial equipment.
3. an enjoyable activity, form of entertainment, or short break that helps you stop
an enjoyable activity, form of entertainment, or short break that helps you stop thinking about your everyday worries or problems
For Defne, reading a good novel is the perfect escape from a stressful week at work.
escape from + everyday problems
Video games offer an escape for many teenagers who want to relax after a long school day.
Gardening became Christopher's favourite escape after he retired from his office job.
The cinema is a cheap escape from the boredom and repetition of daily routines.
Some people turn to television as an escape from difficult real-life situations.
- distraction
broader; does not necessarily imply enjoyment or relief
- diversion
emphasises turning attention away from something temporarily
- getaway
implies a short break from routine, often involving travel
- engagement
being fully involved in or focused on a situation
文法句型
an escape from + everyday life/stress/problems
用法筆記
Used only as a singular countable noun: 'an escape' or 'the escape'. Often followed by 'from' to indicate what is being temporarily left behind.
4. a short holiday or trip to a quiet, relaxing place that feels completely differe
a short holiday or trip to a quiet, relaxing place that feels completely different from your everyday surroundings
The cottage in the mountains was their favourite weekend escape from the noisy city.
adjective + escape
Maeve booked a beach escape for the whole family during the summer school break.
noun modifier + escape
The Quan family bought a small island escape where they go every winter to relax completely.
For Asher, a camping escape in the forest is more refreshing than any luxury hotel.
文法句型
adjective + escape
a + noun + escape
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 is any enjoyable activity that takes your mind off things; sense 4 specifically involves travelling somewhere different.
5. a keyboard button, usually labelled 'Esc', that lets you close a menu, cancel a
a keyboard button, usually labelled 'Esc', that lets you close a menu, cancel a command, or return to the screen you were on before
Press escape on your keyboard to close the pop-up window without confirming anything.
press + escape
Sora hit the escape key but the frozen program still would not respond at all.
hit + the escape key
If the game freezes, hold down the escape key for a few seconds to exit.
The instructions say to use the escape button to leave the installation screen safely.
- Esc
the abbreviated label on the key itself; used in written instructions
- enter key
confirms the current action, the opposite of escape which cancels it
文法句型
press + escape
hit + the escape key
用法筆記
Often referred to simply as 'escape' or 'the escape key'. Used without an article when talking about the key as a command ('press escape').
常見錯誤
6. a door, window, passage, or set of stairs that people can use to get out of a bu
a door, window, passage, or set of stairs that people can use to get out of a building or dangerous area
The hotel had a metal fire escape attached to the outside wall on every floor.
fire escape
Reema studied the escape routes on the map as soon as she entered the new office.
Every classroom must clearly mark its escape route for regular fire drills.
The old warehouse had only one escape, which made it dangerous for the workers.
- exit
general term for any way out; does not imply urgency or danger
- way out
informal phrase for any route that leads outside
- emergency exit
specifically designed for use in dangerous situations
- dead end
a passage with no way out
文法句型
fire + escape
escape + route/passage/exit
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the action of escaping; sense 6 is the physical route or structure used to escape.
escape — adjective
1. designed to help people get out of a dangerous building, vehicle, or area when a
designed to help people get out of a dangerous building, vehicle, or area when an emergency happens
The hotel staff showed every guest the nearest escape route during the fire drill.
collocation: escape route
An escape ladder hung from the balcony of the second-floor apartment.
Pedro checked the escape hatch in the submarine before it went underwater.
The escape door at the back of the cinema opened into a narrow alley.
Every classroom should have a clearly marked escape route for emergencies.
文法句型
escape + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive position). It does not appear after a linking verb: use 'escape + noun', not '*noun + is escape'.
常見錯誤
2. written into a legal document or agreement to allow a person or company to avoid
written into a legal document or agreement to allow a person or company to avoid a duty or obligation without a penalty
The contract contained an escape clause that let Caleb leave the partnership early.
collocation: escape clause
Lawyers often search for an escape hatch in the fine print of a business deal.
collocation: escape hatch (legal context)
Without an escape clause, Anjali could not leave her job without paying a penalty.
The insurance policy included an escape clause for damage caused by natural disasters.
Mert’s lawyer found an escape hatch in the rental agreement that waived the fee.
文法句型
escape + noun
用法筆記
Like sense 1, this sense is used only attributively (before a noun). Most frequent in legal and financial writing; 'escape clause' and 'escape hatch' are the dominant collocations.