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 In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet through the Himalayas; a smokejumper designed a special high-altitude parachute to drop three hundred thousand Indian rupees to his escape party. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Young people armed with machetes stormed the site of the funeral, forcing the team to flee and injuring one member, a representative told the Associated Press. — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 The truck fled the scene, and the police followed, according to the report. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026 Woods also actively shot an unarmed bystander who appeared to be trying to flee from the gunfire, charges allege. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 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
  • Several parents previously told the Democrat-Gazette and other local media that the couple then disappeared and stopped responding to emails or phone calls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The layered structure disappeared completely after 50 minutes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of disappear
Verb
  • Lyonnes and Washington Spirit of the NWSL, Kang’s influence stretches across the global game, but it cannot be escaped that Putellas has dropped down from the highest level with this move.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Jordan, who escapes relatively unscathed, is at once cowed and traumatized yet committed to vengeance.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • The technology was also tested against deceptive behaviour, an in a different scenario, fishing boats appeared to retreat while vessels from another direction accelerated toward the coastguard ship.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The player reported that the man had opened a knife and moved toward him before retreating into his room.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • On the same day Krebs published his post, the service mysteriously vanished from the dark web, which could make tracking down the people behind the hack more difficult.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Jordan may wish to exact revenge, and Eddy may want to find one of the victims who has vanished, but both have to go about their work furtively.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of vanish
Verb
  • At his best, Fries flies off the ball with force and aggression.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Crews were not able to fly over the fire for several days due to smoke and visibility concerns, but were able to map it Saturday at 24,839 acres, Beyer said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • As his memories begin to fade, he's left in a panic, not wanting to lose everything.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It was designed to give Hawthorne’s fading downtown a boost with three major department stores — JCPenney in addition to the Broadway and Montgomery Ward — as well as numerous shops and a movie theater.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of fade
Verb
  • Anything bolted on outside them is a second system to police.
    — Rob Green, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Hall of Fame coach is taking over for D’Anton Lynn, who bolted for his alma mater Penn State after two meh seasons.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • Additionally, the party alleged Tupone ran as a Green candidate to siphon votes from Brooks.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The historic buildings once occupied by radio operators now house guests of Basecamp Explorer, which runs a range of Arctic adventures on Spitsbergen, the largest of Svalbard’s islands.
    — Holden Frith, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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