get (sb) off (sth)
— phrasal verb with get uk/ɡet/us/ɡet/verb present participle getting, past tense got, past participle got or US usually gotten
to avoid punishment, or to help another person to avoid punishment for something:
She was charged with fraud, but her lawyer managed to get her off.
"Was he found guilty?" "No, he got off."
She got off with (= her only punishment was) a small fine.
get off lightly
to experience less serious punishment, injury, or harm than you might have expected:
I think I got off lightly with one or two cuts, considering how damaged the car was.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Not punishing & reducing punishment
- absolve
- amnesty
- clemency
- commutation
- commute
- diplomatic immunity
- discharge
- free pardon
- hook
- impunity
- let
- let sb off
- off the hook idiom
- pardon
- parole
- remission
- remit
- reprieve
- spare
- unpunished
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