flee

verb

ˈflē 

fled ˈfled  ; fleeing

intransitive verb

1

a

: to run away often from danger or evil : fly

The family fled from the war-torn zone.

b

: to hurry toward a place of security

Refugees fled to a neighboring country.

c

law : to evade arrest, detention, or prosecution

2

: to pass away swiftly : vanish

mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from

fled the scene of the accident

Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

Synonyms of flee

• disappear
• vanish
• fade
• fly

Examples of flee in a Sentence

The family fled from Nazi Germany to Britain in 1936.

He was accused of trying to flee the scene of the accident.

Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

He was forced to flee the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the boats carry people from Hispaniola fleeing poverty or gang violence. — Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2026

Griffith police said Alton West III fled onto the Borman Expressway on Saturday after officers tried to pull him over. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Russian aggression has spurred Armenia and Moldova to look westward, and hundreds of thousands of young Russian men have fled the country to avoid military conscription while over a thousand Western companies have left. — Stephen E. Biegun, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2026

California’s sky-high housing costs cast a dark shadow on its sunny disposition, sending some fleeing to more affordable climes. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flen, from Old English flēon; akin to Old High German fliohan to flee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing flee

• leave/flee the nest

Rhymes for flee

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he
• ki

Kids Definition

flee

verb

ˈflē 

fled ˈfled  ; fleeing

1

a

: to run away often from danger or evil : fly

b

: to run away from : shun

2

: to pass away swiftly : vanish

the mist fled before the rising sun