flee

verb

ˈflē How to pronounce flee (audio)
Definition of fleenext
1
as in to disappear
to cease to be visible the fog fled with the arrival of the dawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation a murderer who fled on foot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening a toddler who fled when the ladybug he had been quietly watching suddenly began flying around the room

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 flee Authorities allege Ivy and Mayhand distracted employees by browsing merchandise while Wiley sat at a consultation desk and stole two pieces of jewelry before the trio fled. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 People fled the country, in an exodus that would eventually involve a fifth of the population. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 There was little to no warning to give people time to flee to higher ground. — Chloe Demrovsky, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 After the seller arrived, a second boy emerged with a gun and the pair stole the items before fleeing, according to police. — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flee
  1. disappear
  2. escape
  3. retreat
  4. vanish
  5. fly
  6. fade
  7. bolt
  8. run
Verb
  • But both domestic yaks and their wild cousins have been facing threats for years, with some rare subspecies at risk of disappearing entirely.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • But now, the program that became Grays’ lifeline is about to disappear.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of disappear
Verb
  • The Kansas City Royals cannot escape the injury bug this season.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
  • Instead, forecasters are monitoring a recurrent coronal hole, an area where the sun’s magnetic field opens into space and allows faster solar wind to escape.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • England’s response to taking the lead against Argentina in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta was to retreat further and further until Messi’s inevitable impact, setting up goals for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • All three officers immediately backed away from Morgan, while Kephart retreated next to his patrol car.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Pena Sola vanished after being released from custody in 2016, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • The juvenile green, leafy trees had vanished and were replaced by rows of thin, lifeless trunks staked into the ground like tombstones.
    — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of vanish
Verb
  • Iraola’s squad will fly back to Merseyside straight after the game against Leeds, with their pre-season schedule concluding with Anfield friendlies against Monaco and Como on August 9 and 16 respectively.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • FlightAware showed the Gulfstream originally was scheduled to fly from New Jersey to Miami in time for the third-place match between England and France but never took off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • In a year where everything Skubal does has been fair game for discussion and discord, the barbs surrounding the WBC still have not faded.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • But our excitement fades as Nolan’s camera captures the men raping women, looting houses and reveling in the violence.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of fade
Verb
  • The standard prescription for organizations such as these is to bolt security onto their existing network—buy a firewall, add a VPN, maybe bring in an MSSP if the budget allows.
    — Pramod Badjate, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • The internet did not unlock productivity until businesses rewired processes around digital workflows rather than bolting websites onto analog operations.
    — Nigel Vaz, Time, 20 July 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • The agency has also sent staff to Anson County to help run the elections office while the county searches for new leadership.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026
  • Kraus joined Sundance Square in 2021 to run the security division and has since expanded into strategic operations.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026
Definition of run

Browse Nearby Words

fledglings
flee
fleece
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flee. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flee

Nglish: Translation of flee for Spanish Speakers

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