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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugged out
Verb
-
Kneeland fled on foot, police reported.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025 -
Knapton is said to have then fired five more shots as the burglary suspects fled, then went back into his home, reloaded, and went back outside again.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Trump quickly took to social media to claim the vessel had departed from Venezuela and had been carrying drugs.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
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In the same period in 2024, 1,652 CEOs departed.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Unsurprisngly, Meg White, who retreated from public life and hasn’t been heard from for over a decade, was a no-show.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
-
People retreated in fear that more would come.—
Kim Lane Scheppele,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Police said a 30-year-old Meridian man exited the vehicle and walked away from the location, while the driver stayed and cooperated with officers.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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After speeding past traffic at 100 mph, the driver exited the freeway in Woodland Hills and continued to recklessly drive onto the wrong side of the road and swerve between lanes in nearby Canoga Park.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They are felt as they are composed, painfully, joyously, cellularly—and they are designed for other biological beings to experience, to connect with, to be animated, provoked and moved by.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Led by quarterback Tony Pike, the Bearcats moved quickly down the field, setting up a first down at Pitt’s 29-yard line with 33 seconds left.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Multiple key coordinators and assistants agreed to contracts with LSU shortly after Kiffin bolted from the Rebels, including offensive coordinator Weis, tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox, and wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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The Wolverines bolted out to an 11-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced six early turnovers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By 1996, Joe broke through in commercial work and got into television.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Multiple King of Fire, which got its start as a food truck and expanded to a permanent space in uptown Charlotte, plans to open a 3,484-square-foot space at CrossRidge Center across the border in Indian Land, South Carolina.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Other businesses, including a nearby convention center, restaurant and Ford assembly plant, escaped the blaze.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The mailman paused, checking to see if anyone had noticed or knew the puppy had escaped.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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