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
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 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 These chickens want to fly the coop — literally! Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 29 Nov. 2022 But the Santee City Council was adamant that Bird fly the coop before the electric scooters ever got rolling. San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2021 When your leaders fly the coop, who remains to transmit the culture to the next group? Don Yaeger, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2021

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Cite this Entry

“Fly the coop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fly%20the%20coop. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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