A hideaway is a secret or secluded place where someone goes to escape, relax, or avoid being found. It might be a cozy reading nook you've created in your closet, a treehouse tucked deep in the backyard, or a quiet spot behind the library where you can think without interruption.

The word suggests privacy and refuge. A mountain cabin can serve as a family's weekend hideaway from busy city life. A writer might have a hideaway in the woods where she works on her novel without distractions. Kids often create hideaways in blanket forts or under staircases, places that feel like their own private worlds.

Unlike a hiding place (where you might crouch behind the couch during hide-and-seek), a hideaway is usually more comfortable and intentional. It's somewhere you've chosen as your special retreat. Some hideaways stay secret, while others are just peaceful spots away from crowds and noise. The key is that a hideaway offers escape and solitude when you need it.