as in escaping
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
the burglar was trying to abscond with the jewels when he tumbled down the stairs
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Recent Examples of absconding
Authorities booked Smith in the Greene County jail on a warrant for absconding parole while the homicide investigation continues, the release states.
—
Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2025
Warrants in Texas have been issued for the absconding Democrats arrest.
—Jim Talamonti, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
In early-1970s Framingham, Massachusetts, taciturn family man James (Josh O’Connor) makes the rash, largely inscrutable decision to orchestrate a heist at the local art museum, absconding with a selection of modern paintings—without much of a plan.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
The older brother, Obed, had a beautiful daughter and a beautiful, young ex-wife, both of whom had left him, absconding to the West Coast.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
In this unregulated space, however, horror stories abound of coaches and team owners breaking promises and absconding with players’ money, including in Etienne’s league.
—Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
The key moment in the film is a montage of the lovers absconding to Chris’s Malibu getaway for a trip that’s ridiculously, car-commercial lush.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024
Noblewoman Jeanne de La Motte then, so the story goes, posed as the queen and convinced an out-of-favor cardinal to give her the lavish necklace as a gift before absconding with the lucrative diamonds.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Despite never having laid eyes on him, Nam feels drawn to understand where and how his father passed, and before absconding from Vietnam embarks on a journey with Hoa, Ba and Viet to find the site of his death.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2025
Warrants in Texas have been issued for the absconding Democrats arrest.
—Jim Talamonti, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
In early-1970s Framingham, Massachusetts, taciturn family man James (Josh O’Connor) makes the rash, largely inscrutable decision to orchestrate a heist at the local art museum, absconding with a selection of modern paintings—without much of a plan.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
The older brother, Obed, had a beautiful daughter and a beautiful, young ex-wife, both of whom had left him, absconding to the West Coast.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
In this unregulated space, however, horror stories abound of coaches and team owners breaking promises and absconding with players’ money, including in Etienne’s league.
—Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
The key moment in the film is a montage of the lovers absconding to Chris’s Malibu getaway for a trip that’s ridiculously, car-commercial lush.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024
Noblewoman Jeanne de La Motte then, so the story goes, posed as the queen and convinced an out-of-favor cardinal to give her the lavish necklace as a gift before absconding with the lucrative diamonds.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Despite never having laid eyes on him, Nam feels drawn to understand where and how his father passed, and before absconding from Vietnam embarks on a journey with Hoa, Ba and Viet to find the site of his death.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absconding
Verb
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Apa's character, Archie Andrews, was attacked by a bear after escaping from an underground prison fight club; Reinhart's Betty discovered her father was a serial killer and saved her sister from a cult; and Mendes traveled back in time to invent birth control.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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Williams, who was also sentenced to a five-year prison term for escaping custody, sparking a major manhunt, is also at the center of allegations of misconduct by the Johnson City Police Department for more than three years.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Officials said Booth allegedly stopped chasing the uncle, dropped the screwdriver and stripped off her clothes before fleeing from responding police.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The characters from Malczewski’s canvases march through successive decades, fighting and fleeing various yokes.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Air Force is repeatedly flying heavy bombers near the Venezuelan coast as a show of force, too.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Over the years, he's developed a reputation for flying vintage airplanes, even after suffering a near-death plane crash that left his right ankle and pelvis shattered and his back broken in March 2015.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absconding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absconding. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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