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
  • Shy, retreating Minnie was happy to bask in Callie’s light, while Helen’s existence was almost entirely dedicated to her only daughter.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The actual battle had ended with Glover’s men retreating across the Hutchinson River.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • At Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková said a total of nine flights were threatened, including arriving flights from Denmark, Spain and Britain, and departing flights to the Netherlands, Cyprus, Romania, Italy and Britain.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Departing from Dallas In Porter’s view, departing is the most stressful part of air travel.
    — Lauren Harano, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of departing
Verb
  • Most of the boats carry people from Hispaniola fleeing poverty or gang violence.
    — Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2026
  • California’s sky-high housing costs cast a dark shadow on its sunny disposition, sending some fleeing to more affordable climes.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • The deputy and special officer are seen exiting the sheriff’s building before approaching the black SUV, and engaging in what appeared to be a 5-second conversation with the agents inside the vehicle, video released Friday by the department shows.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The Slovenian star fell to the court, grasping his right ankle before slowly making his way up to his feet, connecting on his free throw, and exiting with the Lakers ahead 114-90.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of exiting
Verb
  • Rumors about the lineup had been flying around for weeks, as per usual in the fall, with multiple reports naming the eventual headliners while the festival stayed mum on the official report.
    — Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Flying cars arrive XPeng plans to introduce its two-seat flying vehicle for limited commercial use in the second half of 2027.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Then birdwatchers realized the eagles had indeed built another nest, just in a different spot, moving across the river to Glen Hazel.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Every person seemed to be moving more slowly, taking in each detail around them.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of moving
Verb
  • Mulch cool-season vegetables to delay bolting and keep them producing longer.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The companies that capture that value will redesign work around their most creative people, rather than bolting AI onto old processes and counting the empty chairs.
    — Jay Kaplan, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolting
Verb
  • Later, she’s entertained by a mouse running along the baseboard of one of London’s more elegant restaurants.
    — Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Spanning 40 miles as the crow flies, the Suwalki Gap is a corridor of land, running along the Polish/Lithuanian border, that connects the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to Belarus.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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