decamp

verb

de·​camp di-ˈkamp How to pronounce decamp (audio)
dē-
decamped; decamping; decamps

intransitive verb

1
: to break up a camp
2
: to depart suddenly : abscond
decampment noun

Examples of decamp in a Sentence

She took the papers and decamped. He decamped to Europe soon after news of the scandal broke.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tesla has struggled in 2025, with CEO Elon Musk decamping to DC to temporarily head up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). James Peckham, PC Magazine, 13 June 2025 Michaels appears occasionally in the memoir — the two became friends in the ’70s, when the SNL cast would decamp to aftershow parties at One Fifth, where McNally, newly arrived from England, was working as maître d’. Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025 O’Donnell, who has traded public jibes with Trump for almost two decades, decamped to Ireland in January with her non-binary child, and is seeking citizenship based on her ancestry. Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 After becoming fascinated with the criminal couple’s Depression-era story, Benton and Newman decamped to the heartland to interview people who knew them and get a sense of what the film might be. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for decamp

Word History

Etymology

French décamper, from Middle French descamper, from des- de- + camper to camp

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decamp was in 1676

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decamp. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

decamp

verb
de·​camp di-ˈkamp How to pronounce decamp (audio)
1
: to pack up gear and leave a camp
2
: to depart suddenly : abscond
decamped with the funds
decampment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on decamp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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