elope

verb

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\ i-ˈlōp

eloped; eloping

Definition of elope

intransitive verb

1a : to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent … Waterman was a peevish child who grew into a defiant teenager, eloped at 18 largely to shock his father, and then—far too young—was a father himself.— Elizabeth Gilbert

b : to run away from one's spouse with a lover " … when they had been married nearly seven years, and were within a few weeks of the time when the brother's death would have adjusted all, she eloped with a younger man, and left him."— Charles Dickens

2a : to slip away : escape … might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield.— Washington Irving

b : to leave a health-care or educational facility without permission or authorization …10 suicidal patients deemed 'high risk for suicide' eloped from the Emergency Department from October 2014 and February 2015.— Charles S. Clark Police in Ohio said this week that they gave a nursing home resident a ride and dropped him off at a gas station without ever knowing he was a dementia patient who had eloped.— Kimberly Marselas

Other Words from elope More Example Sentences Learn More About elope

Other Words from elope

elopement \ i-ˈlōp-mənt

\ noun, plural elopements

… the young couple at a nearby table sent over some of their dessert, a slice of cake specially ordered to celebrate their elopement. — David Massey … if the child is afraid of loud noises or crowded environments, a classroom could be intimidating and cause him to be anxious. He might engage in problematic behaviors such as elopement (running away), hand flapping, or yelling … — Erica Kearney

eloper noun, plural elopers

And of course, Las Vegas is no longer just for elopers. With all the elegant hotels springing up in Sin City, more couples are choosing to haul the whole wedding party out and do things up right. — John Winters

Examples of elope in a Sentence

The couple eloped in the middle of the night.

Recent Examples on the Web Stewart spoke to Stephen Colbert in late January about how the two could just elope. — ELLE, 2 Mar. 2022 Lindsie and Campbell began dating in 2009 and chose to elope three years later in 2012. — Ally Mauch, PEOPLE.com, 7 Oct. 2021 Not making matters easier in that department was Judy's decision between seasons to secretly elope with the ever-sensitive BJ (Tim Baltz), who continually serves as the family's punching bag. — Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 6 Jan. 2022 Anna Faris is offering more details on her decision to elope with Michael Barrett. — Ally Mauch, PEOPLE.com, 23 Aug. 2021 Arminta and Pat Jones had moved to Southern California from Arkansas, stopping in Arizona to elope. — Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2021 Lindsie and Campbell began dating in 2009 and chose to elope three years later in 2012. — Dory Jackson, PEOPLE.com, 17 Aug. 2021 Lindsie and Will began dating in 2009 and decided to elope for their January 2012 wedding — a move that played out in the first season of their family's reality series Chrisley Knows Best and caused rifts among the family, particularly with Todd. — Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE.com, 29 July 2021 Two men court a woman, but the one Daddy doesn’t approve of tries to elope with her. — Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2021 See More

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