get away & gets away getting away got away gotten/got away
1. get away (from) p.v. When you escape from people who are chasing you because they want to hurt you or because you have committed a crime, you get away or get away from them.
When he took the knife out of his pocket, I got away from him fast.
By the time the police arrived, the robbers had already gotten away.
getaway n. When you escape from people who want to capture or hurt you, you make a getaway.
The robbers made their getaway in a blue Ford.
The car used for the getaway was found abandoned in the next town.
2. get away (with) p.v. When you do something that is sneaky or wrong and you are not punished or criticized for it because no one knows or cares about it, you get away
with it.
Jake has been cheating on his taxes for years, and he always gets away with it.
He got away with kilting his ex-wife even though everyone knew he was guilty.
3. get away (from) p.v. When you get away from people or places, you leave them even though it may be difficult.
I'm tired of this town. I need to get away.
Frank was talking and talking, and I couldn't get away from him.
4. get away p.v. When you get away, you go on vacation.
/ have a lot of work to do, but I'll try to get away for a week or two.
We always try to get away in January and go skiing.
| Infinitive | ||||
| present tense | -ing form | past tense | past participle | |
| hold out | hold out & holds out | holding out | held out | held out |
1. hold... out p.v. When you hold out your hand, you extend it in front of your body so that someone can shake hands with you or put something in your hand. Hold out is similar to put out.
Maybe Mr. Young is mad at me. I held out my hand, but he didn't shake it.
The street was filled with beggars holding their hands out.
2. hold out p.v. When a supply of something is enough for your needs, the supply holds out.
The beer held out until the end of the party, but we didn't have enough wine.
This is all the money I have, so it has to hold out until I get paid again.
3. hold out p.v. When you hold out, you resist an attack, pressure, or temptation or you continue to survive in a dangerous situation.
More than 1,000 enemy soldiers attacked the fort. There were only 98 of us inside, but we held out for two weeks.
I haven't had a cigarette in three days, and I don't know how much longer I can hold out.
holdout n. Someone who resists an attack, pressure, or temptation is a holdout.
The enemy soldiers are in control of the country, but there are some holdouts hiding in the mountains.
There are still a few holdouts who don't have credit cards.
4. hold out (for) p.v. When you hold out or hold out for something, you refuse to compromise in a negotiation and accept anything less than your original demands.
The basketball player is holding out for a million dollars a game.
The union spokesman said the union members would hold out until their demands were met.
holdout n. When you refuse to compromise in a negotiation and accept anything less than your original demands, you are a holdout.
All the players have signed contracts except for two holdouts.
