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

Witnesses to the March 8 shooting reported seeing a white Tesla Model 3 with a paper license plate fleeing the scene. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Attorneys for Carter, who is Black, have said witnesses saw a White man fleeing the crime scene and that an investigator suppressed evidence that could implicate other suspects, including the victim’s husband, Orla Olesen. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Migrants fleeing poverty and violence have long made that journey. — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Investigators did not find any trace of an intruder fleeing the area, and the damage to the garage side door was inconsistent with a typical break-in, police testified. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 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