Definition
金蝉脱壳 is a chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning 'to slip out of a predicament unnoticed' — literally 'the golden cicada sheds its shell'. It describes a clever escape where someone leaves a decoy or empty shell behind while they themselves get away. Use it for strategic retreats, not for ordinary leaving.
f.e.
to escape by leaving a decoy behinda clever getaway
Examples
- 金蝉脱壳，。Tā yòng le yì zhāo jīn chán tuō qiào, chèn dàjiā bú zhùyì qiāoqiāo líkāi le.He used the 'golden cicada sheds its shell' trick and slipped away while no one was paying attention.
- ，金蝉脱壳，。Dírén fāxiàn shí, tāmen zǎo yǐ jīn chán tuō qiào, zhǐ liú xià kōng zhàngpeng.By the time the enemy noticed, they had already slipped away, leaving only empty tents behind.
- 金蝉脱壳，。Zhège jìhuà shì jīn chán tuō qiào, biǎomiàn chètuì shíjì zhuǎnyí.This plan is a 'golden cicada sheds its shell' — a retreat in appearance but actually a redeployment.
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