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
Slim Shady, her roughly 70-pound, 22-year-old sulcata tortoise, farts loudly, sometimes knocks her down and has forced her to find him after absconding in her North Highlands neighborhood when her front gate was left open.
—
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Their legendary match at 'Money in the Bank' in 2011, which saw Punk defeat Cena for the WWE Championship before absconding with the title, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Premium Live Event endings ever.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
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
Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Their legendary match at 'Money in the Bank' in 2011, which saw Punk defeat Cena for the WWE Championship before absconding with the title, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Premium Live Event endings ever.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absconding
Verb
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The scientist told me repeatedly of escaping to the ship’s deck and surrounding himself with the openness of the ocean, the beauty of volcanic islands, the whales, the dolphins, the flying fish, and, above all, the seabirds.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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Mott’s criminal record includes charges of burglary, criminal trespassing, criminal mischief and escaping from custody or a detention facility, according to online records.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Verb
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In December 2025, a man was shot in the leg during a fight, with the shooter fleeing the scene.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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The organization, known by its French acronym MSF, reported treating over 40 gunshot victims within 12 hours while providing temporary shelter to 800 people fleeing the violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Other things flying up include flexible repair patches for sealing the space station’s hull, a replacement ultrasonic inspection tool, spare units for the station’s vibration monitoring system and parts to improve water processing and oxygen generation.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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The pair got the gold-star treatment from some European designers, with Chanel flying them over to attend the fall show and to dine privately with Karl Lagerfeld.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Absconding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absconding. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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