as in to depart
to leave a place often for another
I went looking for Sally at the pub, but she'd scarpered
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Recent Examples of scarper
Taylor Tomlinson will host After Midnight, the show that is replacing The Late Late Show now that James Corden has scarpered off to old Blighty.
—
Vulture, 1 Nov. 2023
Idrissa Gueye has scarpered, but that void was instantly filled by Mainz midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin - while Moise Kean, goodness knows how, has signed from Juventus to sharpen things up front.
—SI.com, 5 Aug. 2019
Ms Collett compares it to the muggy period before a thunderstorm, when the squirrels have scarpered and the air is pregnant with foreboding of trouble ahead.
—The Economist, 21 June 2018
Vulture, 1 Nov. 2023
Idrissa Gueye has scarpered, but that void was instantly filled by Mainz midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin - while Moise Kean, goodness knows how, has signed from Juventus to sharpen things up front.
—SI.com, 5 Aug. 2019
Ms Collett compares it to the muggy period before a thunderstorm, when the squirrels have scarpered and the air is pregnant with foreboding of trouble ahead.
—The Economist, 21 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarper
Verb
-
Victor Nechita, vehicle program manager for the product CEO Elon Musk has said is a key to the company’s future, is departing after almost six years at the Austin automaker.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
-
While Adam is tracking toward possibly being ready for opening day following last year’s season-ending quadriceps injury, closer Robert Suarez departed to Atlanta as a free agent and Yuki Matsui’s early availability is in question after tweaking his groin.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Powell totaled three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 shooting on threes, three rebounds and two assists in 10 first-half minutes before his groin issue forced him to exit the game early.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
This call arrived shortly after an out-of-state couple stopped by the Troy police station lobby to report that their 36-year-old son had exited their vehicle and run off.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In response to a market-moving piece of dystopian fan fiction fearmongering about AI, Citadel Securities put out its own brief on the historical precedent for AI’s impact and the improbability that the technology will render humans unemployable any more than the typewriter or the internet did.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
But the most ambitious combinations of food and vantage are reserved for lunches, which move daily to points along treks – the rim of a remote lake, a terrace in a quaint village house by the river, or a rooftop with panoramic views in the village of Zhong.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As talented journalists go independent on Substack and YouTube and other legacy publications like The New York Times lean into personalization in nearly every element of their business, The Economist has resisted change.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
-
What makes the shoe so appealing is its nonchalant, slip-on-and-go versatility.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And now the Panthers’ already thin hopes to make a run to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs are getting thinner.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
-
After suffering defeat in the north London derby on his debut as Tottenham Hotspur interim manager, Igor Tudor must find a way to get a positive reaction out of his new players at Craven Cottage this Sunday.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scarper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarper. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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