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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The film, which will include stop-motion animation and live-action sequences, is an adaptation of Shane Jones’ cult novel exploring the tension between escaping war through imagination and confronting its reality. — Alexandra Patterson, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 The tiny, colorful birds will spend winter in Mexico and Central America, escaping the cold and snow in Michigan, before returning in spring 2027. — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026 But there is something else tied to his Jewish heritage that keeps things in perspective — the struggles his grandmother went through escaping liquidation at the hand of the Nazis in her Polish hometown. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Rogue OpenAI agents’ unprecedented coordination during the Hugging Face attack significantly increases the risk of AI escaping human control, analysts said, days after investigators released a bombshell report into the incident. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026 European museums have been hit by a series of spectacular thefts since thieves in October broke into the Louvre museum in Paris in broad daylight, escaping in less than eight minutes with jewelry worth $102 million. — CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escaping
  1. fleeing
  2. avoiding
  3. flying
  4. evading
Verb
  • Survivors find shelter in Kathmandu Some flood survivors are fleeing the devastation to seek shelter in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
    — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In past months, he has been charged with second-degree kidnapping, fleeing elude police, firearm charges and assault charges.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 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
  • Grichuk put a good swing on a slider while flying out to left field.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It was later revealed that the plane had been overloaded by 700 pounds and the pilot, who had cocaine and alcohol in his system, was not authorized to be flying, according to CBS.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 1 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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