Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

on the lam

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.44 in modern English

Syllables: on the lam
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

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

Example Sentences

"The President: 'Hello... I am still on the lam from debt collectors.'"
"Their top hitman, Joe Russo, was on the lam after murdering Joe Barboza in San Francisco."
"There have been more bank runs, executives on the lam, arrests and credit panics than the country has seen in years."
"Charges of Russian meddling, including allegations of vote-buying by a Moldovan oligarch on the lam in Russia, could have substance."

Etymology

From lam (“flight, escape”).

Phrases

take it on the lam

Frequently Paired Words

lambaste take it on the lam

Questions

What does on the lam mean?: Running away, usually from the police; on the run.
Where does on the lam come from?: From lam (“flight, escape”).

How to pronounce on the lam

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “on the lam”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “on the lam”.
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