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
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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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The city fell into mayhem as panicked residents fled.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
As officers approached the scene, a man fled the area in a Ford with others in the vehicle, Wright said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But more than a dozen Chicago players and prospects departed camp this week to participate in the World Baseball Classic.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Shi previously directed Turning Red and took over the co-directorial reins of Elio after original director Adrian Molina departed the project.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On her island home in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, the shoreline has visibly retreated within her short lifetime, with beaches eroded, coastal trees uprooted and some homes now barely 3 feet from the sea at high tide.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After being evaluated on the bench by members of the Celtics’ training staff, Vucevic exited toward the locker room.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Club also sold some BlackRock on Monday and then exited the financial name entirely a day later as private credit fears became too much of a distraction .—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Informal currency exchange houses have also moved funds across borders outside the reach of conventional banking oversight.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
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In mid-2025, Urquhart and Kelley moved their deal from Amazon’s Wondery to SiriusXM.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And while it isn’t designed to be forever, it is bolted to the sidewalk.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Then they’re bolted on with just enough torque to flex and hold fast, even in the most severe turbulence.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Bulls got within 10 again on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter, but each time the Kings came up with big baskets to stem the tide and secure the victory.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Phillip Danault got a lukewarm reception during his first game in Los Angeles since the Kings traded him back to Montreal in December.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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See how the horny hockey show escaped the criticism and did what its contemporaries cannot.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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Ejecta thrown up by the impact would mostly have rained back down onto the surface of the moon, but millions of pounds of debris would have still escaped the lunar gravity and fallen towards Earth instead, possibly creating a unique meteor shower lasting a few days.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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