To escape means to break free from a place or situation that confines or threatens you. A prisoner might escape from jail, a rabbit might escape from its hutch, or you might escape from your little brother when he's chasing you around the house.

The word carries the idea of getting away from something confining, dangerous, or unwanted. You don't escape from school at the end of the day, you simply leave. But you might escape from a boring conversation at a family gathering by excusing yourself to use the bathroom.

People also use escape to describe getting away from everyday stress or worries, even temporarily. When you read an exciting adventure novel, you escape into another world for a while. A family vacation might be called an escape from the usual routine.

An escape can also be a noun: the act of breaking free itself. A daring escape from a burning building, a narrow escape from being caught, or a lucky escape from serious injury all describe successful getaways. The phrase “narrow escape” means you barely got away, just in the nick of time.

When something escapes you, it means you can't quite remember or understand it, like when someone's name escapes your memory right when you need it.