1
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to depart
to leave a place often for another
the strange visitor bugged out without so much as saying a word
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bug out
Verb
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As tensions escalate into violence, Tina retreats into the basement, seeking refuge from the chaos above.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026 -
The carrier retreated to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the island of Crete for maintenance work March 23.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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House Speaker Mike Johnson departs after a vote at the Capitol on March 26, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The shareholder letter also revealed that Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings would be departing its board of directors to focus on philanthropic efforts.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The victim told officers that after the shooting occurred, an unknown male approached him and took his gun and fled the scene in a black pick-up truck.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Sudan last week entered a fourth year of war that, in addition to killing 59,000 people, has forced 13 million to flee their homes.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After driving around on the freeways for more than 15 minutes, the suspect exited onto city streets in the Compton area.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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But Dominguez exited to boos with the bases loaded and one out after allowing Caminero's leadoff home run, a single, a walk, a hit batter and a wild pitch.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Each destroyer is equipped with two SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters that can fly out to ships that might be potentially approaching the blockade line and can provide visual identification of the approaching ship.—
Luis Martinez,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The impact sent a baby’s car seat flying.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The draft pick was top-10 protected in 2026, and with the Panthers owning the eighth-worst record in the NHL this season, the worst that pick can be after the draft lottery is 10th, as a maximum of two teams can potentially move up past the Panthers in that lottery.—
Steve Svekis,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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Homeowner Maha Amin moved three dozen sandbags from the trunk of her car to her driveway Thursday, bracing for more flooding in Des Plaines.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That the content will become marketing and the audience will bolt.—
Jonathan Hunt,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
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When the Consumer Price Index for March is released on Friday morning, it’s expected to show that US inflation bolted higher – a direct result of the Middle East war’s energy shock.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At that moment Contreras made perhaps the biggest play of the game, eschewing the easy force play on McGonigle at first and making the considerably more challenging throw to second to get the lead runner.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
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In 2024-25, the Lightning went 29-8-4 at home during the regular season and pushed to get home-ice advantage over the Panthers by finishing second in the Atlantic Division.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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