hideout

noun

hide·​out ˈhīd-ˌau̇t 

plural hideouts

: a place of refuge, retreat, or concealment

a criminal's secret hideout

Synonyms of hideout

• lair
• nest
• den
• hideaway

Examples of hideout in a Sentence

police found the stolen jewels under the floorboards in the thief's hideout, a cabin deep in the woods

Recent Examples on the Web

Virunga's forests are also believed to have been used as a hideout by fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State jihadist group. —CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

From serene mountain hideouts to tiny communities with picture-perfect main streets, here are eight of Tennessee’s most romantic small towns for your next weekend away. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026

McChesney detailed how one escapee, Andrew Jackson, came to the home of Lyman and Clarrissa Wilmot, then a winter-long hideout at the house of tailor Lorenz Ott in Deerfield. —George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026

Predictably, the fluffy one runs upstairs to his hideout behind a bookshelf. —Hazlitt, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hideout

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

hideout

noun

hide·​out ˈhī-ˌdau̇t 

: a secret place for hiding