getaway

getaway — noun

1. a speedy departure from the scene of an illegal act, such as a burglary, before

1.nounB1
Definition

a speedy departure from the scene of an illegal act, such as a burglary, before authorities can intervene.

Example

The thieves made their getaway in a stolen van before the police arrived.

make + possessive + getaway for criminal escape

Aylin heard the alarm and knew she had to plan a quick getaway.

collocation: plan a getaway

Common collocations
  • make a getaway
  • plan a getaway
  • clean getaway
  • quick getaway
  • narrow getaway
  • getaway car
  • getaway driver
Synonyms
  • escape

    more general; can refer to any situation of getting free, not only crime

  • flight

    more formal and literary; suggests running from danger or pursuing authority

  • breakout

    specifically from prison or captivity; not used for a post-crime escape

Antonyms
  • capture

    the act of being caught after an escape attempt

  • arrest

    the legal act of taking a suspect into custody

Grammar Patterns

make + possessive + getaway

plan a getaway

Usage Note

This sense almost always appears with a possessive adjective (their, his, her, our) or a determiner (a, the). The phrase 'make a getaway' is the most common verb + noun combination.

Common Mistakes

The criminal made getaway in a car.
The criminal made his getaway in a car.
A possessive adjective (his, their) is nearly always required before 'getaway' in this sense.
They escaped from prison in a quick getaway.
They made a quick getaway from the bank after the robbery.
'Getaway' in this sense is used specifically for crimes (robbery, burglary), not for general escapes like leaving prison.

2. a short holiday, usually taken to relax and escape from everyday life; also the

2.nounB1
Definition

a short holiday, usually taken to relax and escape from everyday life; also the place where such a holiday is spent.

Example

The Chen family booked a weekend getaway to a small mountain town.

collocation: weekend getaway + to [destination]

Tamás and Eve rented a beach cottage for a quiet getaway from the city.

adjective + getaway from [place]

Common collocations
  • weekend getaway
  • romantic getaway
  • quiet getaway
  • beach getaway
  • mountain getaway
  • mini getaway
  • perfect getaway
  • getaway destination
Synonyms
  • holiday

    more general and formal; can refer to any period away from work, not necessarily short or spontaneous

  • vacation

    the American English equivalent of holiday; implies a longer, planned break

  • retreat

    suggests a place of seclusion and rest, often with a spiritual or wellness focus

  • break

    informal and very general; can refer to any short rest from routine

Antonyms
  • workweek

    the regular working period from which a getaway provides relief

Grammar Patterns

adjective + getaway

getaway to [place]

Usage Note

Commonly modified by adjectives describing duration (weekend, mini, three-day) or atmosphere (romantic, quiet, perfect). Unlike 'vacation', 'getaway' suggests a short, often spontaneous break rather than a long planned trip.

Common Mistakes

We went on a getaway for two months.
We went on a two-month vacation.
'Getaway' implies a short break (a few days to a week); for long trips use 'vacation' or 'holiday'.
I need a working getaway to finish my project.
I need a quiet getaway to relax.
'Getaway' suggests rest and leisure; if work is involved, use 'work trip' or 'business trip'.
Idioms

getaway car

idiom

a vehicle used by criminals to escape quickly after a crime.

The police found the getaway car abandoned in a parking garage two blocks from the bank.

getaway driver

idiom

a person who drives the vehicle that criminals use to escape after committing a crime.

The getaway driver was arrested while waiting for the robbers outside the jewellery store.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

The three words all describe getting free from a place or situation, but they differ in context and connotation. 'Escape' is the broadest term — it can refer to physical flight (escaping a burning building), mental relief (escaping boredom), or eluding capture (a prisoner's escape). 'Flight' is more formal and literary, often implying sudden, hurried movement away from danger or oppression (the family's flight from the war zone), but it is rarely used for the immediate aftermath of a crime. 'Breakout' is restricted to prison or captivity — it means a planned, often dramatic escape from a locked facility (a daring breakout from the state penitentiary). In contrast, 'getaway' is specifically the swift exit after a crime, not the act of freeing oneself from confinement. A robber makes a getaway in a car; a prisoner engineers a breakout from a cell; a civilian makes an escape from a burning building.

escape ↗flight ↗breakout

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • make a getaway
  • plan a getaway
  • weekend getaway
  • romantic getaway

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The noun 'getaway' was formed in the 19th century from the phrasal verb 'get away' (meaning 'to escape' or 'to leave'). The earliest recorded use in the criminal sense dates to the early 20th century American press, describing the swift departure of robbers. The holiday sense emerged around the 1960s, popularised by travel advertising that reframed 'getting away from it all' as a leisure activity rather than an escape from the law.