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
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More than 30 years ago, Anna and her manager and trusted companion, Betsy Samson (a formidable Denise Burse), fled to Europe on the heels of a highbrow scandal.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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The man fled the scene in a vehicle that was later recovered near Interstate 435 and Leavenworth Road.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino departed early from Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
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Banks briefly departed the series for its penultimate 2016-2017 season, when British pop singer Rita Ora hosted.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Oil prices retreated to around $80 a barrel on Friday, down from a peak of $118 in March when the war was at its height.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
19 June 2026
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The officer retreated and fired several shots, killing the dog and injuring its owner, who was trying to secure the animal, police said.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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This outing comes after Assad pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings of emergency long relief on Sunday Night Baseball when starter Jameson Taillon exited after one hitter due to injury.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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One of the Yankees’ most productive players exited Friday’s 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays prematurely.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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When governance is built in instead of bolted on, AI initiatives move faster.—
Art Gilliland,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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The divers also found a piece of the three-feet-by-three-feet, green, day-glow placard that had been bolted to the navigational channel marker before being smashed and dislodged by Pino’s boat, Pomares testified.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Peter Zenk Residents in Waite Park were picking up handfuls of hail after storms moved through the Stearns County community.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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Guests were moved to nearby hotels.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Kansas City police are continuing to search for a 22-year-old man suspected of instigating a string of shootings Tuesday night, who has now escaped two standoffs with law enforcement.—
Ilana Arougheti
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
Verb
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In North Texas’ first World Cup match since 1994, Japan got a late equalizer to battle to a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
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As the clock ticked down, Fox missed a 3-pointer and the Knicks got the rebound.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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