bugging out

verb

present participle of bug out
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

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 bugging out There’s a wonderful small moment midway through the season where Reilly’s lightly bugging out in his dingy apartment, shaking out his limbs at sharp, insectile angles to get comfortable. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging out
  1. retreating
  2. departing
  3. fleeing
  4. exiting
  5. flying
  6. moving
  7. bolting
  8. running along
Verb
  • But Americans want to know that colleges are responding with urgency to the crisis in our public life, not retreating from it.
    — Rajiv Vinnakota, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • In the second World Cup semifinal, England struck first, taking a 1-0 lead early in the second half and then retreating into a defensive shell.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 16 July 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • Flights over the Nazca Lines departing from the nearby Maria Reiche Airport had been suspended on Friday due to winds exceeding 25 mph, which kicked up dust ⁠and ​reduced visibility.
    — Joe Kottke, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Miles & More members can also earn up to 25% cashback on intercontinental award travel bookings departing from the US, or up to 15% cashback on general intercontinental itineraries.
    — Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026
Definition of departing
Verb
  • Another relative, Lolo Villalobos, was the longtime mayor of Guanabacoa, Cuba, before fleeing the country after Fidel Castro took power.
    — Austin Horn July 30, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Thousands of Ukrainians who arrived in the United States after fleeing the war expected to be away from home only briefly.
    — Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • Schepman said that though officers had tried to turn and stop the car earlier in the pursuit, the crash occurred because the suspect lost control after exiting I-25.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 31 July 2026
  • Garth, Spelling, Green and Ian Ziering are the only 90210 stars who appeared on every season of the series, with Jason Priestley returning as a guest star in season 10 after exiting in season nine.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
Definition of exiting
Verb
  • Breakker connected with a flying cross body over the barricade on Breakker as Cole talked up Evans developing an edge.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • That includes the recent NXT call-up of Ricky Saints as well as Raw stars Finn Balor and Gunther moving over to Friday nights.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The Fairview Fire was estimated at about 979 acres and remains a fast-moving threat, according to firefighters.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of moving
Verb
  • The internet did not unlock productivity until businesses rewired processes around digital workflows rather than bolting websites onto analog operations.
    — Nigel Vaz, Time, 20 July 2026
  • Timing your planting to avoid summer heat will prevent bolting.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 7 July 2026
Definition of bolting
Verb
  • Two 911 callers reported seeing a child in a towel running along a state highway near the Scioto River, according to audio of the calls obtained by ABC News.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Or, spend the afternoon biking or running along the Lakefront Trail, catch the sunset at Belmont Harbor, or explore Lakeview's bookstores, breweries, and cafés.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
Definition of running along

Browse Nearby Words

bugging off
bugging out
buggy
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Cite this Entry

“Bugging out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging%20out. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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