1To free or release something that had been caught or confined — letting a captured animal or person go.
捕まえたトンボを逃がしてやった。
I let go of the dragonfly I had caught.
川で釣った小さい魚は逃がすことにしている。
I make a habit of releasing any small fish I catch in the river.
犬のリードを離した瞬間に逃がしてしまった。
The moment I let go of the dog's leash, it got away from me.
動物園の飼育員は保護した野鳥を自然に返すため逃がした。
The zookeeper released the rescued wild bird back into the wild.
2To let a chance, opportunity, or target slip away through carelessness or bad timing; to fail to catch or seize it.
電車を逃がして、次の電車まで三十分も待った。
I missed the train and had to wait a full thirty minutes for the next one.
犯人はあと一歩のところで逃がしてしまった。
They let the criminal get away when they were just one step from catching him.
せっかくのチャンスを逃がすなんてもったいない。
It's such a waste to let a golden opportunity slip away.