get off the hook
Meaning
To avoid blame, punishment, or a difficult responsibility; to be released from an obligation.
Origin
From fishing: a fish that slips free of the hook escapes capture. By the 19th–20th centuries it was used figuratively for escaping trouble or obligation.
Notes
Often implies escaping consequences or responsibility; can sound unfair (“He got off the hook”). Informal but common in everyday and workplace English.
Examples
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I thought I’d be fired, but my boss let me off the hook this time.
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Don’t think you can get off the hook just because you apologized.
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If the rain cancels the picnic, we’ll all get off the hook for bringing food.
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He tried to blame someone else so he could get off the hook.
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The witness’s testimony could help the suspect get off the hook.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed phrase: get/got/getting off the hook. Common patterns: get off the hook for + noun/gerund; let someone off the hook; be off the hook (meaning no longer responsible).
Synonyms
- escape responsibility
- avoid punishment
- get away with it
- be let off
- be off the hook
Antonyms
- face the consequences
- take responsibility
- be held accountable
- pay the price