1
as in retreating
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 exiting
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 bugging out
Her baby's father answered the door with his eyes bugging out, and Frierson barged in to find two other guys, needles, spoons and powder on the table.
—
Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging out
Verb
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As the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is rapidly retreating.—
Nell Lewis,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
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Browse books, play pool, and spin records in the Living Room before retreating to the 5,600-square-foot spa, complete with a Himalayan salt room, Finnish sauna, seasonal outdoor pool, and treatments by sustainable Italian brand Comfort Zone, among others.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After exiting Dior in May, the Italian designer on Tuesday was appointed chief creative officer of Fendi.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
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Congestion persists on the Scheldt River entering and exiting the port system, with 60 ships waiting to depart and 128 inbound vessels awaiting berth.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This, too, meshes with the politics of the time, given the lure that Canada had for those fleeing the draft, and the dangers faced by refuseniks who stayed behind.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
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The attackers fatally stabbed one of the men and seriously injured the other before fleeing.—
Phillipe Vieira,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ego Nwodim has lined up her first project since departing Saturday Night Live last month.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Oct. 2025
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Before departing the firefighter education center, Kate switched up her outfit, swapping the long jacket for a shorter coat that revealed a brown skirt.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to a report from Clarify Capital, six-figure earners are flying economy, turning to discount grocery chains to hunt for better deals, getting thrifty with buying clothes, and scaling back on subscriptions.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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Flights between the two cities are primarily used for connections for passengers flying to and from Tucson.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
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Players are moving around, not pointing fingers at others and are taking accountability.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Toronto’s fielding fails them Addison Barger stared at the sky, bolting to his right as Austin Wells’ fly ball fell.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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Cool-season planting keeps parsley from bolting, or going to seed quickly.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Seated front row, the star turned heads in a sheer bodysuit featuring an iridescent brown and yellow print, paired with matching pants adorned with coordinating fabric details and cut-outs running along the legs.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
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Perf means the perforations running along the film strip as it is pulled through the projector, and generally the higher the amount of perforations, the higher-quality the image.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bugging out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging%20out. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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