beat the rap
This page is about the idiom beat the rap
INFORMAL
Meaning
If someone beats the rap, they avoid being found guilty of a crime.
For example
- Everyone knows that Jimmy the Snitch did the robbery in Green St., but he beat the rap because he's in with the cops.
- Henry was charged with drunk driving, but his lawyer helped him beat the rap on some technical detail.
Variety
This idiom is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
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Contributor: Matt Errey