flee

verb

fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; fleeing

intransitive verb

1
a
: to run away often from danger or evil : fly
The family fled from the war-torn zone.
b
: to hurry toward a place of security
Refugees fled to a neighboring country.
2
: to pass away swiftly : vanish
mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from : shun
Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

Examples of flee in a Sentence

The family fled from Nazi Germany to Britain in 1936. He was accused of trying to flee the scene of the accident. Many people fled the city to escape the fighting. He was forced to flee the country.
Recent Examples on the Web Putin’s increasingly repressive regime has jailed critics while opposition leaders such as Navalny, Boris Nemtsov and others have been killed, jailed or have fled Russia. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The suspects fled the scene in a white sedan and remain at large as of March 12, per Fox 11. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Its owner, Wei Huang, fled the country and is now a fugitive, according to the Department of Justice. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The suspect sprayed a witness who tried to restrain him, then fled, D’Amico said. Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Further south, in Rafah, Palestinians say they are terrified by the threat of a potentially bloody Israeli ground offensive in the city – where most civilians have been forced to flee from bombardment. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 In fact, many thorns in Putin's side have either fled Russia for the U.S. or Western Europe. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Recommended Compassion Biden’s food drops in Gaza underscore difficulties with Israel There are also few women’s shelters in Senegal, and women fleeing domestic violence often have little education and few formal job skills. Andrei Popoviciu, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 The bull tears through the crowd as men run, narrowing in on one fleeing man. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flee.' 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

Middle English flen, from Old English flēon; akin to Old High German fliohan to flee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of flee was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flee

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

flee

verb
fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; fleeing
1
a
: to run away often from danger or evil : fly
b
: to run away from : shun
2
: to pass away swiftly : vanish
the mist fled before the rising sun

More from Merriam-Webster on flee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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