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
  • Achord is in the huddle every play before retreating to the sideline.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Skywatchers will not only see the moon change color, but also witness the sharp, curved edge of Earth’s shadow steadily advancing across — and later retreating from — the lunar surface.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • As boards sought more experienced directors, just 10% of the incoming class were aged 50 or under, while half of departing directors were in their 50s.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • While there will be no season 6 for Outer Banks, and the remaining cast is departing, there has been a prequel series, Kildare, in the works for a while.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of departing
Verb
  • On top of that, the Iranian airspace was closed to all flights during the bombings and Iranians were fleeing the country.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Jacobo stopped the attack and approached Overstreet before fleeing to his car, prosecutors said.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • But Charter executives have discussed exiting that relationship, which guarantees the team about $200 million a year in revenue, according to people familiar with the company’s plans who were not authorized to comment.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Comedy development exec Andy Weil is exiting Netflix after 11 years to join Amazon as its new head of comedy.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of exiting
Verb
  • But their life as flying animals is short, lasting a few weeks or months.
    — Olga R. Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Bringing your own electrolytes Hydration is always a problem when flying.
    — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Earlier, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue in Washoe County, Nevada, said the fire was moving Northeast as of Saturday evening, according to a social media post.
    — Jenna Harrison, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • People are already moving materials around in all of those places, and a lot of that work is repetitive, physically punishing, or puts people near real hazards.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of moving
Verb
  • Involves engineering hurdles Building solar farms on open water involves far more engineering hurdles than bolting panels onto dry land.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Above all, embed accuracy into explainability rather than bolting it on afterward.
    — Sriram Bhargav Madhav, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolting
Verb
  • Video captured by e-biker Jamaal Harrison shows the small pig running along Hayworth Avenue near West Hollywood as Harrison follows on his bike.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • And, to his right, Koehn saw a man, later identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, running along Blue Lakes with a rifle in his hands.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 7 Aug. 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 26 Aug. 2026.

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