slip away

present singular third person slips away · participle present slipping away · participle past slipped away · past slipped away

1. To leave without being noticed.

   I'm going to try to slip away from work early, if I can.

   3 more examples

   1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 4: The engine-burglar, But when Bobbie crept down later to bring up her presents--for she felt she really could not be separated from them all night--Mother was not writing, but leaning her head on her arms and her arms on the table. I think it was rather good of Bobbie to slip quietly away, saying over and over, "She doesn't want me to know she's unhappy, and I won't know; I won't know." But it made a sad end to the birthday.

   When I'm tired and thinking cold I hide in my music, forget the day And dream of a girl I used to know I closed my eyes and she slipped away She slipped away

   1976 August 25, Tom Scholz, “More Than a Feeling”, in Boston, performed by Boston

   He picked up his own phone, shunned limos and preferred to walk if possible (sciatica later caused him to use a wheelchair) – as, for example, on the day after his election when he slipped away on foot to collect his suitcase and settle the bill at the modest pensione where he had been booked in before the conclave began.

   2025 April 21, Peter Stanford, “Pope Francis obituary”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms: slide off, slip off, sneak off

2. To pass quickly, almost unnoticed.

   The months slipped away and became years.

   1 more example

   But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room.

   1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald, chapter 7, in The Great Gatsby, page 144

3. To disappear; to elude one; to recede; to dwindle.

   What about love? Don't you want someone to care about you? What about love? Don't let it slip away

   1985, Brian Allen, Sheron Alton, Jim Vallance, “What About Love”, in Heart, performed by Heart

   2 more examples

   Scharner then headed a Dorrans free-kick against the crossbar, with Tchoyi unable to turn in the follow-up as the Baggies saw their hopes of salvaging a point slip away.

   2010 December 28, Kevin Darling, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC

   And there are few better ways to enjoy the rugged bleakness of the fells than from a nice warm train, especially when the weather's constantly changing as the day slips away.

   2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 57

4. euphemisticTo die peacefully.

   He slipped away quietly in his sleep.