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
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Recent Examples of bugged out
Matt, your eyes just really bugged out!
—
Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugged out
Verb
-
The teen suspects fled and were found dead in a vehicle a few blocks away.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Authorities said the suspect fled on foot before being located nearby.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Established in 2015, with Australian artist Ed Davis (who has since departed in 2024), the brand has cultivated a cult following for its line of ready-to-wear and accessories.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
30 May 2026
-
The expedition departed from the hotel to begin the ascent, explained Martin, our concierge.—
Lauren David,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
While India’s media landscape has largely retreated in the face of the Hindu right’s fascism, Kandasamy is one of the few consistently at the barricades.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Travel stocks — Shares of airlines and cruise operators rose as oil prices retreated on Wednesday.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Garcia later exited the game with a right-hamstring strain.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2026
-
Mendoza exited his bedroom to find that the roof of his unit had collapsed, allowing intense heat and heavy smoke into the unit.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Ogwumike, who sat out the Sparks’ victory over the Las Vegas Aces last weekend due to a hand injury, moved into sixth place on the WNBA’s career rebounding list with 3,312 and now has a franchise-record 2,339 made field goals for the Sparks.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
-
Ogwumike moved past Lisa Leslie, who had 2,332 field goals for the Sparks and 3,307 career rebounds.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Matt Rife took the standup pipeline that produced every comedy star of the last 30 years and bolted a content strategy onto it, turning TikTok virality into a stadium tour.—
Taylor Reilly,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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Treatments and amenities woven into the full stay, rather than bolted on as a separate clinic, also tend to deliver more measurable benefit than à la carte high-tech interventions.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
But this drone was designed to fly in the open air, and never got a chance to venture into the lava tubes before ultimately meeting its demise in 2024.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
25 May 2026
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Oregon closer Devin Bell got Cashel Dugger and Espinoza to strike out swinging.—
Los Angeles Times Staff,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
My grandmother escaped Berlin, Germany through the Kindertransport.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
28 May 2026
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Court documents described O'Connor providing a boy with a condom and pushing him into a room with an intoxicated girl, who later escaped and locked herself in a bathroom.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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