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

Relevance

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
  • Seasoned diplomats worry that retreating from that posture would enable autocrats around the world, including Vladimir Putin and his aims of Russian expansionism.
    Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The crowds had retreated to their cabins and RVs, the click of cameras replaced by the trill of crickets.
    Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2024
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Dobbins then spied an open backfield after Austin Ekeler departed the Chargers to sign with the Washington Commanders as a free agent.
    Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Now, the sun meets the skies quite early but departs just around when most of us get off work.
    Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of depart
Verb
  • 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
Definition of flee
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Biden’s refusal to exit the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous initial debate performance in June kicked off a whirlwind season that gave rise to Harris.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Harris executed an accelerated campaign after ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket over the summer after President Biden exited the race.
    Erin Doherty, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of exit
Verb
  • And Americans who have flown private before are three times more likely to trust private pilots over commercial ones.
    Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
  • In December, the developers flew Smith, Owens and an unidentified witness to Florida on a private jet for a meeting on a yacht.
    Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Definition of fly
Verb
  • If the company does not adhere to the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can move forward with the case.
    Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
  • According to the article, published in 2016, Lo moved into the New York Edition hotel, in the Gramercy area, then racked up a $13,000 tab and refused to leave for nearly two months.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Definition of move
Verb
  • Her dog bolted right past her arms and went straight into the crate.
    Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
  • All drop boxes in the city are made of heavy-duty steel, bolted to the ground and monitored by 24-hour surveillance cameras.
    Cailey Gleeson, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • What typical purchases will likely get pricier during the next Trump era?
    Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Fire Chief Brian O’Neill credited the workers with their emergency response to get most people out.
    Doha Madani, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on bug out

Britannica English: Translation of bug out for Arabic Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
silhouette of a man with a megaphone against a british flag
Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit? A double-decker quiz with words from across the pond