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abkommen

to stray from, to get off (a path or route)

verb AP-kom-men Rare

Also means

to get away, to free oneself

Usage Note

abkommen in a navigation or movement context means to deviate unintentionally from a road or path (von der Strecke abkommen — to come off the route). It is also used for skiing or driving accidents where a vehicle leaves the road. The infinitive always collocates with von.

Examples

"Das Auto kam auf dem vereisten Parkplatz von der Fahrspur ab."

Natural Translation

The car came off the lane on the icy car park.

Literal Translation

The car came on the iced car-park off the lane.

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