1
as in flies
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exits
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 bugs out
To keep your watermelon patch pest-free, consider using row covers to keep these bugs out.
—
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
The gazebo also includes transparent panels designed to keep pesky bugs out without obstructing the breeze or your views.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Sealing cracks, maintaining your yard, and using insect barriers are the most effective ways to keep boxelder bugs out.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
The gazebo also includes transparent panels designed to keep pesky bugs out without obstructing the breeze or your views.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Sealing cracks, maintaining your yard, and using insect barriers are the most effective ways to keep boxelder bugs out.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugs out
Verb
-
Here, a quilt flies over the spacious skies of Utah’s Dead Horse Point State Park (an area threatened by drilling permits approved by the US Bureau of Land Management) bearing Wes Gordon’s Georgia, Ashlynn Park’s Arkansas, and Sergio Hudson’s South Carolina, among others.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
23 June 2026
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The Lions are not typically a team that flies counter to recognizing social justice causes.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Maikel Garcia exits game The Royals were hit with another injury when Garcia was removed with a sore left hand in the sixth inning.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
Memorabilia triggers nostalgia for most people, especially as our experiences of live sporting events are increasingly bound by entrances or exits through gift shops.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
As natural gas output partially retreats, global seaborne coal shipments to the region have risen, even if China and India are insourcing more domestic coal.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Exhausted, my mind retreats toward sleep.—
Joseph Trinidad,
Longreads,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s team departs for talks as uncertainty grows Negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said.—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
-
Xenotransplantation departs from this trajectory by reestablishing animal use as a central and permanent component of medicine.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The dark cellos of Guðnadóttir chop and grind, and Washington—shrieking, swiping, maddened at the air—flees into the forest, a disappearing uniform.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
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The first segment examines a woman who flees her home, escaping to a remote island in Ireland after her husband’s criminal trial.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
If the plant moves forward to the construction stage, the expenditures will not be recovered through local electric utility customer rates or consumer bills.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
21 June 2026
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
When spinach bolts, the plant focuses its energy on producing flowers and seeds rather than leaves.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
29 Apr. 2026
-
If Leonard bolts, the Clippers will look to rebuild around young point guard Darius Garland, who came to the team in the Harden trade.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To keep pesky bugs off your skin, the pants feature a rope lock around the cuffs.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
Blast bugs off your house with the garden hose.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bugs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugs%20out. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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