bugged out

verb

past tense of bug out
1
as in fled
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 departed
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

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 bugged out Matt, your eyes just really bugged out! — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugged out
  1. fled
  2. departed
  3. retreated
  4. exited
  5. bolted
  6. moved
  7. escaped
  8. got
Verb
  • Police detectives are now working to determine the make and model of the vehicle that fled the scene.
    — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Foreign governments must also protect Afghans who have fled Taliban rule.
    — Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of fled
Verb
  • Bernardo Silva already departed on a free transfer and joined Real Madrid after the expiration of his contract.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Wall Street banks, including BlackRock, departed the Net-Zero Banking Alliance in droves, leading it to cease operations.
    — Olivia Raimonde, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of departed
Verb
  • While that unfolded, Justin Crawford retreated to the Phillies dugout.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • When the Hills couple faced financial issues after the show ended, the two retreated to Pratt’s parents’ beach home in Carpinteria, California, to get back to regular life.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • Despite Adrian Houser’s excellent start, the Giants lost 2-1 to the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon as shortstop Willy Adames exited the game early with back spasms.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Iger — who just acquired the Los Angeles Lakers — exited earlier this year with another former Parks chief, Josh D’Amaro, now at the helm after a lengthy search process overseen by chairman James Gorman.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exited
Verb
  • As such, most of its parts are off-the-shelf, panels and interior components are bolted on, and there's no proprietary software locking owner-operators out of diagnosing and fixing their vehicles themselves.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The horse in question, Samson, bolted from a standstill at Cherry Hill on June 17, after Mahajan in his family, who were visiting from India, had climbed into the carriage after a photo had been taken but before the carriage horse driver was aboard.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolted
Verb
  • Nashville then moved two goals clear in the 56th minute when Cristian Espinoza sent a pass across toward the near post and Surridge converted nonchalantly with a beautiful heel flick.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Olivia Colman’s first standout work that moved her from sketch comedy to dramatic feature film was Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • On the play Dart returned, the QB escaped the pocket before finding Fields in the end zone for a leaping touchdown grab.
    — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • And Above Ground includes poems to his children about what their ancestors endured and escaped.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of escaped
Verb
  • No inside linebacker got more work on Friday than Murdock, whose 47 snaps were 13 more than any other player who saw the field defensively for the Broncos.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Wyatt Olds made his major league debut for Boston and got his first career strikeout.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of got

Browse Nearby Words

bugged off
bugged out
bugger
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Cite this Entry

“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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