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
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Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton has also departed the team for the same position with the Tennessee Titans.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
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Also new were the designer’s first jersey pieces, with draping departing from the rear and enclosing the shoulders, open on the midriff and sculpted around the hips.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team held a moment of silence for Good, 37, who was killed while operating a vehicle that agents ordered her to exit, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Private Equity Playbook — Adam Coffey An operator’s guide to scaling, acquiring, and exiting businesses based on extensive private equity experience.—
Jennifer J. Fondrevay,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By rolling MXene flakes into tubes, the team created hollow structures that allow ions to move more freely.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
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Karlee Smith jumped on a quad bike to help herd sheep away from the fast-moving flames on a farm in the town of Gellibrand, a small rural town, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of Melbourne.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Several recent special elections have gone well for Democrats, including a win in Virginia in September 2025.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
2 Feb. 2026
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After a skirmish, Pretti escaped from the officer and went toward the crowd.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To me, quality can be part of the formula to get audience.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Also, the cold weather is forecast to get much worse from Sunday, with temperatures dropping even further and making the time frame for a pause in attacks hard to understand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scarper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarper. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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