What does 'get away with it' mean?

What it means: 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."

What it implies: 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.

Related: "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."

Register: Casual. Works in conversation and informal writing.

Tags: phrasal verbs, consequences, wrongdoing, everyday English