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
Relevance
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
-
Also, market reaction to further tariff moves may cause Trump to retreat to the point that the effect of any tariff actions is fairly nominal.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025 -
The soldiers fired warning shots and then opened fire when the suspects would not retreat, according to the IDF.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The 26-year-old England full-back will depart Anfield after nine years with the first team that brought 352 appearances, 23 goals, 86 assists and eight domestic, European and world trophies.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
After the ceremony ended, Trump quickly departed to play a round of golf.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Hardin fled the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, through a secure entryway on May 25 wearing a fake law enforcement uniform.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
-
The family fled Colombia in 2002, leaving behind comfort and status.—
Clara-Sophia Daly,
Miami Herald,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Four other transfer quarterbacks also exited with years to spare.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Fischer explained that she's heard a narrative that the show declined in quality about halfway through its run, which lasted from 2005 until 2013, and that the sitcom struggled once series lead Steve Carell exited during season 7.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
-
This technology allows even those with limited flying experience to handle the bike safely and confidently.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2025
-
This was the first launch since Bezos' fiancé Lauren Sánchez flew with an all-woman crew that included pop star Katy Perry and TV morning show host Gayle King in April.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
Word moved around the ticket-holders, likely waiting for Novak Djokovic’s match to follow this one, that one of their own was doing something special.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
-
The two new fire stations, plus the new fire department headquarters that is set to hold a relocated Fire Station 4, are being moved at the recommendation of a 2021 plan that looked to lower emergency response times.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Five-year-old Amber bolted in late April, a day after arriving in London from Qatar, where she was rescued from the streets.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
-
Where the trunk narrowed higher in the tree, Flores bolted spikes into the bark to make the final few steps into the structure.—
Liam Dillon,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Left-hander Pierce Coppola got the start and, after a dominant return against Alabama to the tune of 10 strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, just couldn’t find the zone.—
Jackson Castellano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2025
-
Clients would get the remains of not only their loved one, but also the remains of other bodies.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
2 June 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share