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
Verb
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Luna and Lee both believe frustration will die down by November about trash fees and Balboa Park parking, which the City Council retreated on by agreeing to a complex deal last month.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026 -
To their credit, the Wayans don’t entirely retreat from controversy.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The first mission, carrying Starlink batch 17-47 on the Falcon 9 booster B1088, departed from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
4 June 2026
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During past Inter Miami home games, MIA has issued travel advisories to passengers arriving and departing the airport.—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
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He was spotted ducking down in a field as traffic passed by and fled before he was found in a small cave, police have said.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
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If your husband can limit his exposure to them without having to flee his own house, the situation may feel less awkward.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy exited the game in the fifth inning after a violent collision with Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
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But despite this, experts say the lack of AI play is not the main reason why global investors are exiting India.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Starship and Blue Moon both have a ways to go before NASA will certify the vehicles to fly astronauts, so any time lost on that front by Blue Origin could further narrow NASA's options and increase the risk of setbacks to the agency's lunar landing timeline.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
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To better understand the challenges Blue Origin now faces, Ars spoke with several SpaceX veterans who experienced the AMOS-6 failure and worked the long days afterward to get the Falcon 9 rocket flying and rebuild the shattered facility at Space Launch Complex-40.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
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That stands in contrast to the Nasdaq, which has already moved to fast-track SpaceX's inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index, leading to concerns that new retail investors could become the cash cow of exit liquidity for legacy SpaceX shareholders.—
Katie Foley,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
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In the production, directed by Jo Bonney, Susanna arrives there before realizing what has happened, a scene change that moves briskly enough to surprise you in the audience too.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Neto bolted home with a feet-first slide.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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In this type of test, called a static fire, a rocket is fueled and its engines are ignited to test the onboard systems, but the booster remains bolted to the launch pad and does not lift off.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Serna, however, would make one more attempt to get past Hulst.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Just the way his approach is getting better and better every day.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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