bug out

verb

bugged out; bugging out; bugs out

Definition of bug out

intransitive verb

1 : to retreat during a military action especially : to flee in panic

2 : to depart especially in a hurry

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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

Those big-as-hubcap pupils bugging out from Mike Singletary’s face, the Hall of Famer’s intensity unmistakable. — Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "Bears defense still buzzing after weekend spent rubbing elbows with legends," 11 June 2019 Ursa Minor uses a water-resistant, breathable Sunbrella canvas to keep the bugs out and the temperature comfortable. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Affordable pop-top transforms your van into a camper for $7K," 5 Dec. 2018 At least with a chimp, there would be somebody to eat the bugs out of Rudy Giuliani's hair. — Fox News, "Darrell Issa reacts to release of Carter Page FISA documents; Judge Jeanine addresses 'The View': I'd like to move on," 22 July 2018 Advances in synthetic biology have made very real the possibility of malicious actors creating harmful pathogens for weaponization — or innocent researchers accidentally releasing a lethal infectious bug out into the world. — Abigail Higgins, Vox, "10 ways the world is most likely to end, explained by scientists," 18 Oct. 2018 When my grandma came back from the store with a dozen Krispy Kremes, my eyes bugged out of my skull and my tongue unfurled from my mouth like a carpet and steam blew out of my ears. — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, "Are Homemade Doughnuts Worth the Effort and Fire Hazard?," 13 July 2018 Want to make your out-of-state friends' eyes bug out? — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "8 reasons to love the Phoenix heat in summer," 14 July 2018 Choose a vessel with a narrow top to keep bugs out, and do not change the water if possible. — Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Houseplant advice for the millennial (or anyone) who doesn’t have a green thumb," 11 July 2018 Does living in space make your gut bacteria bug out? — Megan Molteni, WIRED, "NASA's Astro-Mice Will Test What Space Does to Your Gut," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bug out.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

10 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for bug out

The first known use of bug out was in 1950

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an act or instance of editing or removing

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