When someone manages to evade punishment by exploiting a legal loophole, they are said to have gotten off on a technicality. Synonyms for this phrase include skated, escaped, and dodged the bullet. Other similar expressions are walked free, gotten away with it, and slipped through the cracks. A person who knows how to work the system might be described as crafty, sly, or shrewd. Meanwhile, a legal victory achieved through a technicality might be described as a hollow win, a Pyrrhic victory, or a moral victory in name only. Ultimately, getting off on a technicality might be seen as clever, but it's not necessarily commendable or ethical behavior.