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bug out

verb

Definition of bug outnext
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
  1. retreat
  2. depart
  3. flee
  4. exit
  5. fly
  6. move
  7. bolt
  8. get
Verb
  • Treasury yields retreated from a two-decade high as traders pared bets on further Fed tightening after last month's rate hike.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcast audio warnings and fired the shots and there were no clashes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Kenita Lloyd, will depart just short of five years of service at the end of 2026, according to an internal memo obtained by The News and two sources.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Smith departed the network in March 2024 after 12 years, with a send-off on NBC’s Today.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of depart
Verb
  • After war broke out over religious and political differences in 1642, people had to flee when their villages became war zones, while other places were filled with desperate refugees.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The driver fled north on Highway 113 and crossed back into Sutter County.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • One of the bullets exited her head before reentering her left arm near the elbow, where it was recovered during the autopsy.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Ryan threw three scoreless innings and struck out three batters before exiting, and the Tigers offense took it from there.
    — Christian Romo, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of exit
Verb
  • Iran has said the bombers flying from the base have been used for strikes beyond the original remit and indicated that a base used to attack its territory is a legitimate target.
    — Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • In 2025, a playoff game in Baltimore between the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers was paused due to a drone flying overhead.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • Taken together, the announcements show Meta moving beyond the idea of glasses as simply VR or camera devices.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
  • There’s been a steady drumbeat of streaming price hikes as companies over the last few years — and months — as companies moved away from a focus on subscriber additions to profitability.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of move
Verb
  • Firms that merely bolt AI onto old processes tend to realize only limited gains.
    — Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Kiffin built Ole Miss into a national championship program, and then bolted before finishing the job.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • Menopausal women spent years unable to get relief from the potentially deadly but often preventable effects of recurrent urinary tract infections, due to the FDA’s black box warning for estrogen products.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Even if Xi’s trip proves to be more form than function, Lyle Goldstein, the director of the Asia Program at Defense Priorities, argued that getting the pair in the same room is a step in the right direction.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of get
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bug off
bug out
bugs
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Cite this Entry

“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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