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
  • Drunk on pollen and nectar, the bees retreat to their hives for the night, carefully and methodically, as if driven by a higher intelligence, an anonymous architect, or pure chance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated more than 1,800 points, or more than 3%, and the broad market S&P 500 pulled back more than 4%.
    — Sean Conlon,Gina Francolla,Christopher Hayes,Nick Wells, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • All Ugandan troops are expected to depart Somalia by the end of 2027.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of depart
Verb
  • The sisters hoped to join their mother and a brother who had fled El Salvador a few years earlier and were living in Tennessee.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Some megabillionaires have already fled California since the tax was proposed.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • Drivers will exit using the left lanes, while the two center lanes continue to the westbound Dolphin Expressway, and the right lane heads to northbound I-95.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Dry and cool week ahead After the rain exits Tuesday, North Texas will be dry and cool.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of exit
Verb
  • Claude Fable 5 had produced a counterexample to the conjecture, much like how an ostrich is a counterexample to the conjecture that all birds can fly.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Jimmy Louis, 70, who was flying with his two children, last flew to Haiti two years ago.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • Their shared ambition is straightforward, which is to move fusion from experimental physics rigs into commercially viable power plants.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Kerhonkson was also within easy reach of her sister, who had moved with her family from the East Village to Millbrook, in Dutchess County, in 2024.
    — Heather Senison, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of move
Verb
  • The Chargers bolted out to a 9-3 lead against the Los Angeles Rams only to lose 24-9.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • In the future, Kang said, the current plastic bins would be replaced with more durable cans bolted into the sidewalk and designed to be harder to tamper with.
    — Hanna Kang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • Loukeman, who mixed the record and nabs a couple co-production credits, proves a real asset to getting this across.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But only one got a victory parade on Wednesday — and a quintessentially Bay Area one at that.
    — Lauren Segal, New York Times, 5 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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