slip through someone's fingers

verb

To elude someone in the end, despite having almost been achieved or captured.

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Meanings

verbslip through someone's fingers (third-person singular simple present slips through someone's fingers, present participle slipping through someone's fingers, simple past and past participle slipped through someone's fingers)

present singular third person slips through someone's fingers · participle present slipping through someone's fingers · participle past slipped through someone's fingers · past slipped through someone's fingers

  1. To elude someone in the end, despite having almost been achieved or captured.

    "So you let the German spy slip through your fingers after all," protested Mr Carlyle warmly.

    1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC

Translations

Dutch door de vingers glippen
  • door de vingers glippenTranslations
Finnish valua käsistä
  • valua käsistäTranslations
French passer sous le nez, filer entre les doigts
  • passer sous le nezTranslations
  • filer entre les doigtsTranslations
German durch die Lappen gehen
  • durch die Lappen gehenTranslations
Hungarian kicsúscik a kezéből
  • kicsúscik a kezébőlTranslations
Icelandic ganga úr greipum
  • ganga úr greipumTranslations
Irish imigh idir méara duine éigin
  • imigh idir méara duine éiginTranslations
Polish przechodzić koło nosa, przejść koło nosa
  • przechodzić koło nosaTranslations
  • przejść koło nosaTranslations
Portuguese escapar por entre os dedos
  • escapar por entre os dedosTranslations
Romanian scăpa printre degete
  • scăpa printre degeteTranslations
Spanish escaparse entre los dedos
  • escaparse entre los dedosTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

slip through someone's fingers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slip%20through%20someone's%20fingers

MLA

“slip through someone's fingers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slip%20through%20someone's%20fingers. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “slip through someone's fingers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slip%20through%20someone's%20fingers.

Source: slip through someone's fingers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.