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 departing
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 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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When hunger calls, head to Osteria del Sotto Sale for fresh seafood and pasta before retreating to Dimora dell'Olivastro, a tranquil guesthouse set among olive groves.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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And the country’s disconnection from the regime comes as Putin has removed himself from public life, literally retreating into a bunker.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The cruise ship, now bound for the Port of Rotterdam, had been docked at the industrial port of Granadilla in the Spanish island off West Africa before departing.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Frontier Flight 4345, an Airbus A321, was departing Denver en route to Los Angeles on Friday and carried 224 passengers and seven crew members, the airline said in a statement at the time.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Verb
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In December 2025, a man was shot in the leg during a fight, with the shooter fleeing the scene.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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The organization, known by its French acronym MSF, reported treating over 40 gunshot victims within 12 hours while providing temporary shelter to 800 people fleeing the violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Stein suggests replacing towels, shower curtains, shower liners, and bath mats before exiting the room.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 May 2026
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His bull case is that humans are not exiting the security equation anytime soon.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Other things flying up include flexible repair patches for sealing the space station’s hull, a replacement ultrasonic inspection tool, spare units for the station’s vibration monitoring system and parts to improve water processing and oxygen generation.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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The pair got the gold-star treatment from some European designers, with Chanel flying them over to attend the fall show and to dine privately with Karl Lagerfeld.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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In other words, this is basically a demonic-possession story, albeit one without any actual demons; at one point, Nikki briefly starts moving backward for no reason.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Meanwhile Varda is planning for more partnerships and a faster launch cadence, eventually moving from a launch per quarter to every other month.—
Ramin Skibba,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The trick is integrating them during the remodel, rather than bolting them on after a fall.—
Amy Kunst,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
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None bigger than the bombshell on April 28 that this OPEC stalwart for nearly 60 years is bolting.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Aura Cedar Outdoor Bar from Modern Shade is just under eight feet long, five feet wide, and eight feet tall, with a dual-level bar running along one of the long walls and a TV mount occupying the other.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
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Resident video shows aftermath Initial video released Sunday by a nearby resident showed officers running along the light‑rail tracks toward a person, and one officer kicking away what appears to be a gun from the individual on the ground.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugging out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging%20out. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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