1 [no obj] a : to get away from a place (such as a prison) where you are being held or kept
▪ The prisoner escaped (from jail). ▪ an escaped convict [=a convict who has escaped from prison]
b : to get away from a dangerous place or situation
▪ The boat sank but the crew escaped (unharmed). ▪ They managed to escape from the burning building. 2 : to get away from something that is difficult or unpleasant [+ obj] ▪ He needed a vacation to escape the routine of daily life. ▪ She moved to the city to escape the memory of her mother's death. ▪ trying to help people to escape poverty [no obj] ▪ trying to help people to escape from poverty ▪ This vacation will give us a chance to escape (from the routine of daily life). ▪ escape from reality 3 : to avoid something : to not experience something (such as disease or injury) [+ obj] ▪ He succeeded in escaping punishment for many years. ▪ A few passengers somehow escaped injury. ▪ escaped being injured ▪ She barely/narrowly escaped death/disaster when her car slid off the road. ▪ Many cases of fraud escape detection. [=are not detected] [no obj] ▪ Several passengers escaped without injury. ▪ She narrowly escaped with her life. [=she narrowly avoided death] 4 [+ obj] : to fail to be remembered or noticed by (someone)
▪ His name escapes me. [=I can't remember his name] ▪ Nothing escapes her. = Nothing escapes her notice. 5 [no obj] : to come out from somewhere
▪ A bit of light escaped through the cracks. : to leak out ▪ Gas is escaping from the tank. 6 literary : to come out or be spoken without being intended [+ obj] ▪ A sigh of relief escaped her. [=she sighed in relief without realizing that she was doing it] [no obj] ▪ A sigh escaped from her lips.