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
  • As his mind retreats to the hues of old movies, Charlotte breaks the fog with a glimmer of humanity.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • James survived the shooting, but is shown retreating back to his car while losing blood.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Her exit follows the resignations last week of acting Chief Financial Officer Steve Mahr and Deputy CFO Noor Shaikh in June — coming after CFO Jill Jaworski departed at the beginning of this year.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Jimmy Coe, for example, said in an email to the larger airport that during his visit to Orlando in 2022, his taxi driver erroneously drove him to the Orlando airport instead of the Sanford airport where his Allegiant flight was departing.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of depart
Verb
  • As the flames approached the community in July, the majority of the village’s 3,500 residents were forced to flee their homes, as hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle blazes more violent and unpredictable than in previous years.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Rhaenyra and Rhaena flee on Syrax as Rhaena watches in horror as the other dragons bite and claw at her own.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • Cooper and Hadid sparked dating rumors in October 2023 when they were photographed leaving the West Village restaurant Via Carota and exiting via the same SUV, per the Daily Mail.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Brent's price careened between $72 and $102 last month as worries rose and fell about when the war with Iran would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again to deliver crude to customers worldwide.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of exit
Verb
  • When Aemond refuses to fight, Aegon conscripts him to fly to Tumbleton to deal with their uppity little brother.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Some more images show Kidman, Bullock, 62, King, 26, and Williams, 29, wearing flowing gowns while hooked onto wires, seemingly filming a scene that involves flying, in front of a blue screen.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • The Gemini Moon moves through your 9th House of Learning and sextiles the Leo Sun in your 11th House of Community, helping big-picture thinking connect with friends, groups, or shared goals.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Though less significant than the Strait of Hormuz, around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, once passed through Bab el-Mandeb, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of move
Verb
  • Two Ohio men accused of shoplifting from a Kroger were pulled over by Miami Township police on July 27, and one of them, later identified as Kaamil O'Berry, bolted from the car and fled on foot, according to WKRC.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Those changes stuck because they were built into how the business runs, not bolted onto a marketing model.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • At age 16, Armstrong made his first solo flight and got his pilot's license.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Also, the Grindr is all guys either dressed up for pup play or wearing ladies’ panties, which is also not my idea of a good time, but slightly better than getting your foot stuck in a wet, mossy hole.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Aug. 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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