flee

verb

ˈflē

fled ˈfled

; fleeing

Synonyms of flee next

intransitive verb

: to run away often from danger or evil : fly

The family fled from the war-torn zone.

: to hurry toward a place of security

Refugees fled to a neighboring country.

: to pass away swiftly : vanish

mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from : shun

Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

Examples of flee in a Sentence

The family fled from Nazi Germany to Britain in 1936. He was accused of trying to flee the scene of the accident. Many people fled the city to escape the fighting. He was forced to flee the country.

Recent Examples on the Web Lebanese Americans — some who fled civil war in Lebanon — make up a small community in Bell, with more living in Cudahy, Maywood and South Gate. —

Alejandra Molina, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 The movie starts out at the same size as a standard IMAX screen before opening to its full height and width after an introductory segment about a pair of humans who’ve returned to Earth after their ancestors fled to space following a climate apocalypse. —

Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2023 Some people — including the vice president — had to flee for their safety. —

Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023 Law enforcement soon obtained information leading them to believe the pair fled to Mexico. —

Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2023 Sessions are also expensive, and often out of reach of people who have been forced to flee their homes. —

Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023 The economy plunged into a deep recession, and capital started to flee the country. —

John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023 There were four people in the fleeing vehicle on South Dixieland Road. —

Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 20 Nov. 2023 Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din Street in Bureij, Gaza Strip, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. —

CBS News, 11 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.