escape artist

plural escape artists

1. A person who is skilled at escaping from confinement, for example from prisons.

   They do not mention that if the dog is like Nero, it can be a regular escape artist, pulling out chains or breaking ropes.

   2001, Claire Rudolf Murphy, Jane G. Haigh, Gold Rush Dogs, page 40

   1 more example

   Whether he is an escape artist, whether he is a known troublemaker and agitator, fights, and one thing or another. All these things are taken into consideration by the committee before a decision is made.

   1972, United States. Congress. House. Select Committee on Crime, American Prisons in Turmoil: Hearings, page 615

2. An entertainer who performs escapes from perilous situations such as cages, coffins, and straitjackets.