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
The clear lids have a tight seal that locks the temperature in and keeps the fire ants and love bugs out.
—
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugs out
Verb
-
The Vikings’ equipment won’t return to the TCO Performance Center in full until Tuesday, after the team flies home.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Fiji Airways flies to several cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and Honolulu, connecting them to Fiji and beyond.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Summer exits the frame and can be heard running across the apartment.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Audits and exits Brinkley’s time as interim chief will coincide with the beginning of a department audit and inspection ordered by the city and conducted by an unaffiliated third party organization.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rest & Relaxation follows Amandeep (Mani), who in seeking solace on the brink of a life-changing decision, retreats to a secluded bed and breakfast where the eclectic guests challenge her preconceptions of family.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Camilla lives at Ray Mill most of the time, while Charles retreats to Highgrove or Clarence House.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Prince Harry departs after visiting the Centre For Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London, in England, on September 10, 2025.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Ivacic departs the Revolution after two seasons and 49 regular-season starts, with 12 clean sheets to his credit.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As night falls amid the vast trees and lush greenery, a teenage boy breaks a window, climbs out of it and flees toward the forest on foot.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Along the way, Arenas is imprisoned for admitting to having slept with 5,000 men and eventually flees Cuba on the Mariel boatlift.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The National Hurricane Center says a tropical depression is likely to form by mid to late week as the system moves west-northwestward.—
Daniel Peck,
ABC News,
23 Sep. 2025
-
If the project moves forward, construction could begin in the early 2030s and complete later in the decade, Conway said.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Parsley is a biennial that quickly bolts and dies the second year, and since second-year parsley is bitter, it’s typically grown as an annual.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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 29 Sep. 2025.
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