flee

verb

ˈflē 

fled ˈfled  ; fleeing

intransitive verb

1

a

: to run away often from danger or evil : fly

The family fled from the war-torn zone.

b

: to hurry toward a place of security

Refugees fled to a neighboring country.

2

: 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.

Synonyms

• dematerialize
• disappear
• dissolve
• evanesce
• evaporate
• fade
• fly
• melt
• sink
• vanish

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

The driver had fled the scene by the time police arrived, according to the press release. —Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

Police released surveillance and body-camera footage showing a crowd of thousands of people in the streets when the suspect opened fire, causing chaos as people fled. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024

Around 90% of the population of 2.3 million have fled during the 13-month-old war, often multiple times. —Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Millions of residents fled New York and other cities after they were suddenly seized by gangs. —Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flen, from Old English flēon; akin to Old High German fliohan to flee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing flee

• leave/flee the nest

Kids Definition

flee

verb

ˈflē 

fled ˈfled  ; fleeing

1

a

: to run away often from danger or evil : fly

b

: to run away from : shun

2

: to pass away swiftly : vanish

the mist fled before the rising sun