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.
In May 2023, while awaiting trial in a Virginia jail, Marin-Sotelo and another inmate managed to escape, with Marin-Sotelo fleeing to Mexico. Max Saltman, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025 The mother of a woman killed when an unlicensed driver crashed his Mercedes-Benz into a school bus in Brooklyn is calling for justice after police said the driver fled the scene in a taxi, leaving her daughter to die in the front seat. John Annese, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025 The sheriff’s office said a man fled the scene, but was taken into custody a short time later with assistance from BSO’s K-9, Aviation and T.I.T.A.N. (Threat Intervention Tactics Analytics Network) units. Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025 The cataclysmic Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920, forced many Mexican people to flee to the United States in search of jobs, safety, shelter, and food. Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flee. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!