eloped; eloping

intransitive verb

1
a
: to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent
… Waterman was a peevish child who grew into a defiant teenager, eloped at 18 largely to shock his father, and then—far too young—was a father himself.Elizabeth Gilbert
b
: to run away from one's spouse with a lover
" … when they had been married nearly seven years, and were within a few weeks of the time when the brother's death would have adjusted all, she eloped with a younger man, and left him."Charles Dickens
2
a
: to slip away : escape
… might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield.Washington Irving
b
: to leave a health-care or educational facility without permission or authorization
…10 suicidal patients deemed 'high risk for suicide' eloped from the Emergency Department from October 2014 and February 2015.Charles S. Clark
Police in Ohio said this week that they gave a nursing home resident a ride and dropped him off at a gas station without ever knowing he was a dementia patient who had eloped.Kimberly Marselas
elopement noun
plural elopements
… the young couple at a nearby table sent over some of their dessert, a slice of cake specially ordered to celebrate their elopement. David Massey
… if the child is afraid of loud noises or crowded environments, a classroom could be intimidating and cause him to be anxious. He might engage in problematic behaviors such as elopement (running away), hand flapping, or yelling … Erica Kearney
eloper noun
plural elopers
And of course, Las Vegas is no longer just for elopers. With all the elegant hotels springing up in Sin City, more couples are choosing to haul the whole wedding party out and do things up right. John Winters

Examples of elope in a Sentence

The couple eloped in the middle of the night.
Recent Examples on the Web Shortly after, though, the couple eloped on April 2, 1992, at a Texas courthouse — Chris in jeans and a T-shirt for the quick, casual ceremony, per Texas Monthly. Makena Gera, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Eight decades later, George affirmed that eloping with Louise was one of the smartest decisions he's ever made. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 11 Feb. 2024 Londoners Fiona Evans and Josh Chan eloped on a birthday trip to New York City. Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Jan. 2024 The pair eloped in March and welcomed their first child, son Sammy, in June. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2024 Phish is the latest music act set to take over Las Vegas orb Nov. 30, 2023 Kosha Shah and Kevin Singh are eloping to Vegas for a New Year’s Eve wedding at the Little White Wedding Chapel. Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023 David Harbour and Lily Allen, for example, eloped in Las Vegas and held their reception at In-n-Out. Vogue, 24 Dec. 2023 The pair eloped in May 1996, just one year after meeting on the soap opera All My Children. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 2 Jan. 2024 Her arrival came just weeks after the pair eloped when Seyfried was nine months pregnant. Audrey Schmidt, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French aloper, esloper to abduct, run away

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of elope was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near elope

Cite this Entry

“Elope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elope. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elope

verb
eloped; eloping
: to run away secretly especially to get married without parental consent
elopement noun
eloper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on elope

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