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
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Recent Examples of bug out
In the clip, Crosby's eyes bug out as his head goes from shoulder-to-shoulder watching the ball successfully go in.
—
Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Sealing cracks, maintaining your yard, and using insect barriers are the most effective ways to keep boxelder bugs out.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Her baby's father answered the door with his eyes bugging out, and Frierson barged in to find two other guys, needles, spoons and powder on the table.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
The clear lids have a tight seal that locks the temperature in and keeps the fire ants and love bugs out.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bug out
Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Sealing cracks, maintaining your yard, and using insect barriers are the most effective ways to keep boxelder bugs out.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Her baby's father answered the door with his eyes bugging out, and Frierson barged in to find two other guys, needles, spoons and powder on the table.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
The clear lids have a tight seal that locks the temperature in and keeps the fire ants and love bugs out.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bug out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bug out
Verb
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In the example below from their 2-1 win over Girona, Barcelona man-mark the opposition midfielders but Fermin Lopez’s passive positioning allows a pass into retreating centre-forward Portu.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Teddy demands that Michelle take him and Don to her Andromedan leader in the hope of forcing the invaders to retreat.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nine people remain missing after a UPS plane departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday crashed in a ball of flames, killing at least 12 people.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
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Since the father wanted to depart the country with his son, ICE attempted to work with IPS to get his son out of school before his flight.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Three were sprawling refugee camps near el-Fasher that have emptied as RSF troops advanced, with most people fleeing into el-Fasher or nearby towns.—
NPR,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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The film, written by Barbosa alongside Werner Salles, is set in 1695 and sees a family of slaves organize a rebellion to flee in search of the utopian Quilombo dos Palmares following a call from the spiritual helm.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Madsen exited the game midway through the first quarter with an injury, and Boise State lost 30-7, its offense reaching new levels of futility — and hearing a lot of boos from a restless crowd.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Nov. 2025
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Photographs showed someone walking alongside Bill and Hillary Clinton, carrying the device as the couple exited the airport.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The airline said customers looking for a refund on any flight can get one, even if flying basic economy or with a non-refundable ticket.—
Rachel Scott,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The trailer, soundtracked by a lilting piano melody, reveals the basic premise of the film, which focuses on a young boy named Arco from a distant and peaceful future, where humans live in the sky and use rainbow suits to fly through the air.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The buttery-soft fabric is lightweight and stretchy enough to move with you while still retaining its shape over time.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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On top of that responsibility and stress, he was frustrated with the Blazers’ losing and his role moving forward.—
Jason Quick,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The alternative to betting on a resilient platform with everything built in now is spending lots of time and money to bolt on later.—
Kellie Romack,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
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But with college players having so much power in the NIL era, coaches cannot risk anything that might give their athletes reason to bolt for another team.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Helm rises too, goes as high as possible, gets a little giddy (there are upper limits to Helm’s domain).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Hamlin, then went to pit for four new tires while Hendrick Motorsports’ Larson only got two which placed him in fifth position ahead of Hamlin, who was in 10th.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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