1
as in disappearing
to cease to be visible
the fog fled with the arrival of the dawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escaping
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
a murderer who fled on foot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreating
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
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Recent Examples of fleeing
Graham isn’t the only member of Congress to be seen fleeing town as soon as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson allowed them.
—
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Police said Wang had slashed their throats and concocted a story about arriving home and shooting at a fleeing intruder responsible for the killings.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Martinez left Cuba alone at the age of 16 in 1962 before reuniting with his parents in Orlando, arriving under then-President Lyndon Johnson’s policy to welcome Cubans fleeing the Castro regime.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Investigators used surveillance footage and witness interviews to piece together the timeline and identify Roybal‑Smith as the suspect who attacked and killed both men before fleeing the area, according to a news release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
In the ‘70s and ‘80s, large numbers of Laotian and Hmong emigrants arrived, fleeing the persecution that followed the Vietnam War.
—David Farley, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
Another video shows a group of hooded teens running amok throughout the shopping plaza, throwing punches and fleeing from police as authorities attempted to restore order, according to video obtained by WTMJ.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
If convicted, Talley faces up to 7 years in prison on the fleeing charge, up to 4 years in prison on the property damage charge, and up to 6 months in jail on the stunt driving charge.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
With hundreds of thousands fleeing the south, Helou noted that only the few unwilling to abandon their homes remained in the area.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Police said Wang had slashed their throats and concocted a story about arriving home and shooting at a fleeing intruder responsible for the killings.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Martinez left Cuba alone at the age of 16 in 1962 before reuniting with his parents in Orlando, arriving under then-President Lyndon Johnson’s policy to welcome Cubans fleeing the Castro regime.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
Investigators used surveillance footage and witness interviews to piece together the timeline and identify Roybal‑Smith as the suspect who attacked and killed both men before fleeing the area, according to a news release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
In the ‘70s and ‘80s, large numbers of Laotian and Hmong emigrants arrived, fleeing the persecution that followed the Vietnam War.
—David Farley, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
Another video shows a group of hooded teens running amok throughout the shopping plaza, throwing punches and fleeing from police as authorities attempted to restore order, according to video obtained by WTMJ.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
If convicted, Talley faces up to 7 years in prison on the fleeing charge, up to 4 years in prison on the property damage charge, and up to 6 months in jail on the stunt driving charge.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
With hundreds of thousands fleeing the south, Helou noted that only the few unwilling to abandon their homes remained in the area.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleeing
Verb
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The disappearing middle The use of intermediaries was not new.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
California the magnificent, California the glorious, was slipping away, disappearing into smog, covered over by concrete.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rear doors on police cars typically only open from the outside to prevent arrestees from escaping.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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But Sasaki locked in to strike out José Ramírez and induce Kyle Manzardo to line out, escaping without further damage.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police said security footage from the store shows customers staring and retreating before 53-year-old Tammy Canut of North Huntingdon walks into the frame naked.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Assuming six weeks of supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the company predicts oil prices peaking at $115 per barrel in April and retreating by nearly a third to $80 by the end of the year.—
Alison Saldanha,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The closure of Forever Young hits as vanishing federal aid and runaway Medicaid costs threaten an ambitious new initiative to expand affordable child care.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The governor’s national ambitions are vanishing into smoke amid the failure of his redistricting efforts, mounting scandals among state agencies and an ever-climbing fiscal crisis for the state of Maryland.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fort Collins now has drones flying the city nearly every day as a resource to the police, fire and utilities departments.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Meteor showers such as the Lyrids can be tracked yearly, because the debris flying through the night sky in fiery streaks is coming from the same comet.—
Hali Smith
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That was accomplished by bolting together several aluminum panels.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
11 Mar. 2026
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But, lo and behold, the game survived the pitch clock without Kenesaw Mountain Landis bolting from his slumber, so now comes the ABS challenge to stir the pot even more.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 9,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hamlin led 292 of the first 317 laps, but a caution for debris on the racetrack with 89 laps to go came out at the perfect time for Elliott, who was fading rapidly on older tires.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Blooper reels, once common in comedy films, are fading from cinema partly due to the rise of dramatic post-credit epilogues and the shift from DVDs to streaming platforms, experts say.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Current board members Kay Coen and Jeff Siems, who is also the school board vice president, are not running for re-election.—
Joseph Hernandez
March 29,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
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Ultra Music Festival returned to Bayfront Park in downtown Miami for its second day Saturday, with music running from noon to midnight across seven stages.—
Miami Herald newsroom,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fleeing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleeing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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