bug out

verb

Definition of bug outnext
1
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to depart
to leave a place often for another the strange visitor bugged out without so much as saying a word

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bug out
  1. retreat
  2. depart
  3. flee
  4. exit
  5. fly
  6. move
  7. bolt
  8. get
Verb
  • Another set of images capture the charred aftermath of houses that burned along the Pacific Coast Highway, and the remains of Malibu homes where the Palisades fire had retreated.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The federal police eventually retreated without arresting the impeached president.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Melvin succeeded Hoda Kotb, who announced her plan to depart last year and had her last day on Friday.
    Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
  • In this scenario, TikTok would die a slow death, as its technology degrades and its social fabric weakens with users departing for other platforms.
    Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025
Definition of depart
Verb
  • At the time, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said Rivera appeared to have been the same man who’d fled after deputies tried to pull him over for having a fake license plate.
    Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Refugees are people who are forced to flee their homes and are unable to return because of war and persecution.
    Carissa Zaffiro, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
Definition of flee
Verb
  • But rather confusingly, this fracas appears to have been staged so that duo can exit their top-secret careers as globe-trotting clandestine agents, disappearing together into civilian life.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Biden and first lady Jill Biden will exit the Capitol grounds by plane after the transfer of power and return to private life.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Definition of exit
Verb
  • Mash, a Russian Telegram channel thought to have links to Russian law enforcement, published footage purportedly showing a drone flying toward Engels overnight, which could not be independently verified.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Gonzalez Urrutia was leaving for Panama on Tuesday, and was planning to fly to the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
    Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Definition of fly
Verb
  • The couple had just moved from their modest fixer-upper in Altadena’s Janes Village to their dream home in architect Gregory Ain’s Park Planned homes, when the Eaton fire roared to life.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Still, the ramifications for those who lived and moved across the Utah territory during this time echo throughout American history.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of move
Verb
  • One team has transformed its offense and bolted to the top of the standings.
    Fred Katz, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The record − contained safely within its protective aluminum case − is bolted to the side of Voyager's bus housing that contains its electronics and instruments.
    Stephen J. Beard, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • People with low credit scores can also have trouble getting a loan or can be forced to borrow at higher interest rates.
    Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Biden's plan was to enable applicants to stay with their families while immigration officials determined their cases, touting it as a far more humane way to carry out the process and get more people green cards or permanent resident status.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of get
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near bug out

bug off

bug out

bugs

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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