as in to depart
to leave a place often for another
I wish you would just bug off and leave me alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bug off
Blast bugs off your house with the garden hose.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Keep bugs off the guest list at your next outdoor gathering.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 June 2025
To keep harlequin bugs off of vegetables, the simplest approach is to cover the plants immediately after planting.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2025
Additionally, it can be used to keep harmful bugs off your garden plants, if needed.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2023
The San Antonio Zoo is offering a special Valentine’s Day greeting for exes who just won’t bug off.
—Yenny Sanchez, CNN, 29 Jan. 2023
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Keep bugs off the guest list at your next outdoor gathering.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 June 2025
To keep harlequin bugs off of vegetables, the simplest approach is to cover the plants immediately after planting.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2025
Additionally, it can be used to keep harmful bugs off your garden plants, if needed.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2023
The San Antonio Zoo is offering a special Valentine’s Day greeting for exes who just won’t bug off.
—Yenny Sanchez, CNN, 29 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bug off
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Thankfully, Tia yet again rises to the occasion and smooths the fight over and helps Gizelle and Keiarna, at the very least, return to a common ground while Wendy exits stage left.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The driver, later identified as Sampson, continued to drive recklessly at high speed and exited the interstate and headed into downtown Ybor City.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Then, at the next vehicle entrance, the city is proposing a tunnel so bike traffic can move without interacting with cars.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Kings went into the halftime break with a 58-46 lead and a 22-5 advantage in fastbreak points.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
While strolling in New York City, Katie Holmes went for a casual vibe in baggy black jeans with a light jacket and a crossbody bag, while Jennifer Garner's pair had a touch of subtle elegance with gold-tone hardware.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Their noise got loudest at night when the city became quiet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
And Natalie is still justifiably concerned about her dad, calling him up during his night from hell and getting no information from him.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Hindsight is 20/20, especially when a year goes off the rails.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Smoke lay in the air and the light flickered, pyrotechnic machines going off.—
Sara Schiff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Because Brunson got off the ball again and again to deliver the Knicks’ their first victory of the new calendar year.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
And letting Quickley get off a clean look didn’t sit well with them, either.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a post on X, the City of Minneapolis commented on the decision of federal authorities to cut out the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) from the probe into the killing of Renee Nicole Good.—
Maggie Vespa,
NBC news,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The new recommendations were written by two Kennedy allies at HHS; the agency’s vaccine advisory board, which Kennedy remade in his own image last year, appears to have been cut out of the process entirely.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bug off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20off. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share