flee

verb

fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; 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.
2
: to pass away swiftly : vanish
mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from : shun
Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

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
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.
The camp is just around 30 miles away from the border with South Sudan, were a civil war and ethnic violence that began in 2013 led tens of thousands of people — many on foot — to flee to Uganda. Fatma Tanis, NPR, 2 Nov. 2025 Most of humanity has fled into virtual reality to escape a world wracked by epidemics and climate change. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025 People fled through the carriages seeking safety, with some attempting to barricade themselves in the train’s toilets, said other witnesses who saw train seats soaked in blood. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025 The short doc, currently campaigning for best documentary short at the Academy Awards, chronicles the plight of Afghan refugees in India through the story of Samira Faizi, who fled to the country in 2021 following the Taliban‘s takeover of Afghanistan. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flee

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of flee was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flee. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

flee

verb
fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; 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

More from Merriam-Webster on flee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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