From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishget away with something phrasal verb1 to not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong Watch Frank – he’ll cheat if he thinks he can get away with it. No one insults my family and gets away with it!2 get away with murder informal to not be punished for doing something wrong Some of those children get away with murder!3 to receive only a small punishment for something The charge was reduced to manslaughter, and she got away with three years in prison.4 to do something without experiencing any problems or difficulties, even though it is not the best thing to do At school he had always got away with doing the bare minimum amount of work. The colour’s not quite right, but I think you’ll get away with it. → get→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
get away with • Munro never lets you get away with a facile, one-dimensional take.• But he's not going to get away with it wherever he is.• And, indeed, plenty of military personnel are guilty of breaking marital vows and getting away with it.• How did he imagine he was going to get away with it?• She could just get away with more.• Feeling uncertain, I asked Vidal if I could get away with such a scene.• Very few schools get away with teaching the Lord's prayer in anything other than something like the traditional way.get away with murder• His parents let him get away with murder.• Where are these men when, as you say, there are men literally getting away with murder?• She lets those kids get away with murder.• But the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is angry that some other local authorities are letting agents get away with murder.• I think the women of your time have been allowed to get away with murder.• In those days people throughout the organization often got away with murder.• Sorcerer thought he could get away with murder.• When we played them last week, the officials let Erik Williams get away with murder.• He can get away with anything, he could get away with murder and my mom would still love him.• They get away with murder because of their buying power. 