having got free from a difficult situation or a punishment(使)摆脱困境,逃避惩罚
I lied to get him off the hook.为了让他摆脱麻烦我撒了谎。
No way will she let you off the hook this time.这次她绝不会放过你。
I was finally off the hook.我终于摆脱了困境。
(becoming old-fashioned)if you leave or take a landline phone off the hook, you take the receiver(= the part that you pick up) off the place where it usually rests, so that nobody can call you(为防止电话打进来而使听筒)不挂上Topics Phones, email and the internetc2