fly the coop
idiom
informal
1
: to leave suddenly or secretly : to escape or go away
In the morning the suspect had flown the coop.
2
: to leave home
All their children have flown the coop.
Examples of fly the coop in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Holmes is a delight as a fed-up mortician’s wife more than ready to fly the coop.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 May 2025
Others, such as The Chicken Shanty, simply fly the coop.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 12 Mar. 2025
Could the Golden State just fly the coop, become its own nation and walk away from 175 years of union with the United States?
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
The first to fly the coop was Woodpecker, who was unmasked to reveal Black-ish star, actress, and producer Marsai Martin.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024
While it's been nearly a quarter-century for us, Dawn of the Nugget picks up shortly after Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi) helped their entire flock fly the coop from Tweedy's Farm.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
Chief among them was the risk that Musk could simply fly the coop.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 June 2024
In new episodes, the family of four is preparing for their kids – Sam (Keir Gilchrist), a young man on the autism spectrum, and Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), his younger sister – to fly the coop.
—Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 30 June 2021
In December, as users began to fly the coop following a series of controversial company decisions by Musk, the platform introduced a new policy banning the free promotion of rivals Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, Truth Social, Tribel, and Post.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2023
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.
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 May 2025
Others, such as The Chicken Shanty, simply fly the coop.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 12 Mar. 2025
Could the Golden State just fly the coop, become its own nation and walk away from 175 years of union with the United States?
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
The first to fly the coop was Woodpecker, who was unmasked to reveal Black-ish star, actress, and producer Marsai Martin.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024
While it's been nearly a quarter-century for us, Dawn of the Nugget picks up shortly after Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi) helped their entire flock fly the coop from Tweedy's Farm.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
Chief among them was the risk that Musk could simply fly the coop.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 June 2024
In new episodes, the family of four is preparing for their kids – Sam (Keir Gilchrist), a young man on the autism spectrum, and Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine), his younger sister – to fly the coop.
—Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 30 June 2021
In December, as users began to fly the coop following a series of controversial company decisions by Musk, the platform introduced a new policy banning the free promotion of rivals Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, Truth Social, Tribel, and Post.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Fly the coop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fly%20the%20coop. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share