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
  • Hallegua is a Paradesi Jew, the once-dominant group whose fair-skinned, Sephardic ancestors from Spain and Portugal fled the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of stopping to help, the driver of the Ford fled from the scene.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fled
Verb
  • Mara Sade, formerly Jakara Jackson in WWE, has officially departed TNA as a free agent following her contract's expiration on August 3rd.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Over a year after most DOGE members departed the government, independent auditors still cannot pinpoint who all the DOGE personnel were.
    — Meryl Kornfield, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of departed
Verb
  • After July’s momentum wreck, bullish market sentiment retreated from extreme levels, setting the table for last week’s upturn.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The off-duty trooper exchanged fire through the window with the gunman, who briefly retreated and returned again, firing and hitting another victim who was trying to help and render aid.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • Officers said two people reportedly met at a nearby shopping center, but the suspect at some point exited the truck and shot the victim at point-blank range.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Martin exited after the first two batters reached in the sixth.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of exited
Verb
  • That requires identity to become infrastructure, not an afterthought bolted onto checkout.
    — Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Police wrestled him down, and Fauci, dressed in his white lab coat, bolted downstairs.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolted
Verb
  • At home, Indian authorities moved aggressively, seizing his properties and luxury assets, from high-end cars to jewelry and artworks.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Creekside and Worth County moved up in classification, and Bowdon and Hebron Christian have new coaches and graduated key players.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • This incident highlights a systemic issue where millions in USDT have escaped freezes, as confirmed by multiple on-chain analytics firms like BitOK.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • In 2023 Flaco, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, escaped his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of escaped
Verb
  • And found our own references, got into it, got the concept down, looked at some different artists.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Lesnar got revenge in the second meeting, thereby making the rubber match necessary.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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