escaping

verb

present participle of escape
1
as in fleeing
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation everyone managed to escape from the burning building in time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in avoiding
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery a judge who is very determined not to let criminals escape punishment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of escaping This is because the material that serves as the building blocks for planets is constantly escaping the swirling platters of gas and dust, or protoplanetary disks, that wrap around infant stars. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Fuller’s ideas are hard to summarize, but always seem to reach toward a utopian vision of escaping the drudgery of everyday life. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, however, crocodiles escaping from the farms triggered public safety concerns. — Irus Braverman, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026 Operations director Drew Meyer watched, a few tears escaping from behind his dark sunglasses. — Lydia McFarlane, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 That survival depends not on escaping nature, but finally learning how to live with it. — Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 After escaping Bonner, Beckham showed some of his old moves, juking linebacker Cam Riley before advancing for extra yardage. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 Wars come and go, Napoleon rises and falls and these two men remain prisoners of a beef neither seems capable of escaping. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Jonathan Bowlan allowed a single and a walk in the eighth before escaping with help from Brandon Marsh’s catch of a foul pop amid the fans in left field. — Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escaping
  1. fleeing
  2. avoiding
  3. flying
  4. evading
Verb
  • Surveillance video from the Cedar Glenn complex showed Brunson, Newman, and another unnamed co-defendant jumping a fence, approaching a Chevrolet Suburban, and fleeing after being confronted by a witness.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Horrifying surveillance video circulating online shows people fleeing before the mudslide hits and a deluge crashes down on them.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • Suggest a timeline, assign a task, or ask the question everyone keeps politely avoiding.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Officials annually emphasize boating safety, wearing life jackets and being aware of conditions, especially rip currents, and avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages when venturing out on the water.
    — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • But their life as flying animals is short, lasting a few weeks or months.
    — Olga R. Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Bringing your own electrolytes Hydration is always a problem when flying.
    — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Prosecutors allege Reyes-Vargas has six prior convictions for bad or dangerous driving, including a DUI conviction, evading police, and engaging in a speed contest.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of evading

Browse Nearby Words

escapes
escaping
escapism
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Cite this Entry

“Escaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escaping. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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