What does "get away with" mean?

To do something wrong, risky, or rule-breaking without being punished or caught. There's always an implication that the consequences were deserved but avoided.

"He submitted the report late and got away with it."
"You can't get away with that in a formal interview."
"She somehow got away with wearing jeans to the meeting."

Notice that the phrase almost always points backwards at something that has already happened. You did the risky thing, and then you escaped the fallout. The word "it" usually stands in for the action itself, so you can also be specific: "He got away with cheating on the test," or "They got away with charging us twice." When the action is already clear from context, plain "it" does the job.

More examples to show the range:

"The kids got away with staying up late because Grandma was babysitting."
"You won't get away with parking there for long, the wardens check every hour."
"Nobody gets away with lying to that manager twice."

A combination of luck and audacity. Getting away with something isn't admired exactly, but there's often a grudging recognition of the nerve involved.

Because of this mix, tone matters a great deal. Said with a smile, "He always gets away with it" can sound almost affectionate, the way you might describe a charming friend who bends the rules. Said flatly, the same words carry irritation, even resentment, especially if you feel the person deserved to be caught. Listen for the speaker's tone and you will understand which meaning is intended.

Learners often drop the word "with" and say "get away it," which is not correct. The phrase is fixed: get + away + with + object. Another frequent slip is confusing it with "get away," meaning to escape or take a holiday, as in "We got away to the coast for the weekend." That version has no sense of wrongdoing at all. Keep the little word "with" and the meaning stays about avoiding consequences.

Picture a thief running away with a stolen bag, and no police officer chasing. He gets away, and he keeps what he took, all with no punishment. That image of escaping while still holding the prize captures the whole idea: you did the thing, and you kept the benefit, and nobody stopped you.

"I can get away with it" = I can do this without negative consequences in this specific context. This is softer, it's not necessarily about wrongdoing, just about what's acceptable. "With this haircut, I can get away with not washing it today."

This softer version is very common when talking about clothes, style, or small social choices. "She's tall enough to get away with those bold patterns." "At this office you can get away with trainers on a Friday." Here there is no crime, only a question of what suits you or what the situation allows.

Also worth knowing is "get by," which sounds similar but means something different. To "get by" is to manage or survive with just enough, as in "I get by on very little sleep." It has no sense of escaping punishment, so do not mix the two.

Casual. Works in conversation and informal writing. In a workplace it fits relaxed chat between colleagues, but you would avoid it in formal reports or official emails, where "avoid the consequences" or "without repercussions" sounds more professional.

The phrase is equally at home in British and American English, and it carries the same meaning on both sides of the Atlantic. American speakers sometimes stretch it into "get away with murder," a set expression meaning to do outrageous things without any consequence at all: "That toddler gets away with murder because he's so cute." British speakers use the same idiom just as freely, so it travels well.