flee

verb

fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; 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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The prosecution has successfully argued that Jennifer Crumbley cannot be trusted not to flee, given her behavior in the days after the shooting. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 26 Dec. 2024 However, Kyiv intelligence officials reported the ship was headed for Syria with a mission to collect Russia’s weapons after Bashar al-Assad fled his post as the nation’s leader following rebels’ conquest of Damascus. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 25 Dec. 2024 Secret Service agents fired shots at Routh, who dropped the weapon and fled. The Deadline Team, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2024 The deaths underscore the squalid conditions that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crammed into often ramshackle tents find themselves in after fleeing Israeli bombardment and offensives. Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flee 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of flee was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flee

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flee. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

flee

verb
fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; 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

More from Merriam-Webster on flee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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