Phrase guide

on the lam

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Running away, usually from the police; on the run.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From lam (“flight, escape”).

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Galician: a fume de carozo — running away; on the run
  • Galician: á fuga — running away; on the run
  • German: auf der Flucht — running away; on the run
  • Russian: в бега́х (v begáx) — running away; on the run
  • Swedish: på fri fot — running away; on the run