flee

verb

ˈflē 

fled ˈfled  ; 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.

c

law : to evade arrest, detention, or prosecution

2

: to pass away swiftly : vanish

mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from

fled the scene of the accident

Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

Synonyms of flee

• disappear
• vanish
• fade
• fly

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

The driver of the fleeing vehicle was uninjured, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026

William Huerta, 41, was charged with one felony count of fleeing and attempting to elude officers. — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 2 July 2026

Prosecutors allege Robinson fatally shot Kirk before fleeing. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Maritza Rodriguez, a 60-year-old woman from Havana who fled Cuba because of her political activities as a member of the Damas de Blanco group, waited for her husband of 38 years to come out of the Miramar facility. — Vera Lucia Pappaterra, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing flee

• leave/flee the nest

Rhymes for flee

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he
• ki

Kids Definition

flee

verb

ˈflē 

fled ˈfled  ; 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