When someone does something wrong without being punished, they get away with it.

The idea

In everyday, neutral English, get away with takes a noun, pronoun or verb ending in -ing: get away with a lie, get away with it, get away with lying. The three words stay together.

Examples

  • The student got away with copying the homework.
  • The company cannot get away with hiding those fees.
  • Someone broke the window, but they got away with it.
  • Why does your brother always get away with lying?
  • The driver did not get away with parking on the pavement.
  • The coach warned us that we would not get away with breaking the rules.

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Watch out

Do not say get it away with or get away with lie: put even a pronoun after with, and use the -ing form for an action.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct option. The clerk got away ___ changing the figures. (with / from)

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    with

    with completes the expression linking the clerk to the changed figures.

  2. Choose the correct option. They broke the rule, but they got away with ___. (it / its)

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    it

    it refers to breaking the rule and follows the preposition.

  3. Choose the correct option. The player got away with ___ about the score. (lying / lie)

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    lying

    lying names the action after the preposition.

Use it today

Describe a fictional person who broke a rule and say whether they escaped punishment.