decamp

verb

de·​camp di-ˈkamp 

dē-

decamped; decamping; decamps

intransitive verb

1

: to break up a camp

2

: to depart suddenly : abscond

decampment

di-ˈkamp-mənt 

dē-

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

Days after Luckey’s warning, Google co-founder Larry Page was revealed to have decamped to Florida, in a move highly reminiscent of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ own departure from Washington state in 2023. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026

Josh — Bill Demchak ran structured finance and credit at JPMorgan (JPM) and had spent 15 years at the bank before decamping for PNC Financial Services Group (PNC) in 2002. —Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026

Kardashian joined a crop of celebrities who decamped to Aspen to ring in the new year. —Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 3 Jan. 2026

In its center, from which the well-to-do have long decamped, decrepit high-rises have been most successfully revitalized by the Homeless Movement of the Center (MSTC), a collective of squatters affiliated with the larger Front Line of the Struggle for Housing (FLM). —Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for decamp

• encamp
• headlamp
• preamp
• revamp
• timestamp
• amp
• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• damp
• gamp
• lamp

Kids Definition

decamp

verb

de·​camp di-ˈkamp 

1

: to pack up gear and leave a camp

2

: to depart suddenly : abscond

decamped with the funds

decampment

-mənt 

noun