bug out
verb
bugged out; bugging out; bugs out
1
: to retreat during a military action
especially
: to flee in panic
2
: to depart especially in a hurry
Examples of bug out in a Sentence
the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing
the strange visitor bugged out without so much as saying a word
Recent Examples on the Web
To keep your watermelon patch pest-free, consider using row covers to keep these bugs out.
—
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 June 2025
Combat can often be janky, with some weapons feeling floaty and imprecise, enemies sometimes bugging out, frozen in place for the party to massacre.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
The Traitors — and the Faithfuls — bugged out during the Feb. 6 episode of The Traitors.
—Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
The troops saw combat and suffered casualties, and Walz was criticized for allegedly bugging out.
Also included in the attack on Walz were his comments at a gun control setting — since walked back— about carrying a weapon of war in combat.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bug out
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Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 June 2025
Combat can often be janky, with some weapons feeling floaty and imprecise, enemies sometimes bugging out, frozen in place for the party to massacre.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
The Traitors — and the Faithfuls — bugged out during the Feb. 6 episode of The Traitors.
—Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
The troops saw combat and suffered casualties, and Walz was criticized for allegedly bugging out.
Also included in the attack on Walz were his comments at a gun control setting — since walked back— about carrying a weapon of war in combat.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bug out
Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bug%20out. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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