bugs out

verb

present tense third-person singular of bug out
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

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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

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 bugs out The cuffed hemline can also be tightened as needed—a tiny detail that’s extra useful for keeping bugs out of your pant legs during outdoor adventures. — Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 11 July 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
  1. flies
  2. exits
  3. retreats
  4. departs
  5. flees
  6. moves
  7. bolts
  8. bugs off
Verb
  • The next big test will be the demonstration flight of a Long March 10A rocket, which flies with a single core booster, and China’s new Mengzhou Moon ship to low-Earth orbit in early 2027.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But in a town of heavyweight food and beverage brands from Chick-fil-A to Coca-Cola, Chicken Salad Chick still flies a bit under the radar, said its chief executive.
    — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of flies
Verb
  • Dry and cool week ahead After the rain exits Tuesday, North Texas will be dry and cool.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Her chances at having a baby only seemed to worsen in 2014, when a colorectal surgeon attempted to reposition her stoma — an opening in the abdomen through which waste exits the body — to make pregnancy possible, but the surgery was unsuccessful.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of exits
Verb
  • Retreats from early-childhood care The Goldwyn closure comes as another major Los Angeles institution retreats from providing care.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio and Venus retreats into Libra, joining Saturn retrograde in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, and Neptune in Aries.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreats
Verb
  • Its new incarnation features design contributions from Schrager and British minimalist designer John Pawson and departs from upscale boutique hotel tradition in several ways.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • DeMarco, who joined the Liberty last November after 14 years as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, now departs from the team after it got outplayed by the Dream.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of departs
Verb
  • Jaros and Rauh calculate that the state will lose money so long as 24 percent of the tax base flees, a condition that’s already been met.
    — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Moss flees across the Mexican border, hiding the money along the bank of the Rio Grande before winding up in a Mexican hospital.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of flees
Verb
  • The film has to meet the needs of romance, but isn’t that the problem, the expectation that life moves like genre?
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Amtrak and Canal Edge, LLC have an explicit financial interest in ensuring this project moves forward quickly.
    — Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of moves
Verb
  • Then, the unit bolts to the van, becoming a secure load that happens to contain a full living suite.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
  • When a company bolts AI on without building it into the way the company works, the company can end up paying a great deal of money for a capability its competitors already share.
    — Mohamed Khater, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolts
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
Definition of bugs off

Browse Nearby Words

bugs off
bugs out
build
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Cite this Entry

“Bugs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugs%20out. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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