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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bug out
Verb
-
Instead of an opportunity to gawk and marvel, The Silent Twins presents these two sisters — who retreated inside themselves and spoke only to each other for years — with a sense of complete individuality and autonomy.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025 -
The Yankees’ second baseman then threw his helmet before retreating to the clubhouse.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Pereira knows that Wolves will lose players in the summer, with Cunha and Ait-Nouri two saleable assets likely to depart, while other more peripheral players will inevitably move on.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
-
As Americans hunt for dyed eggs, spike their blood sugar levels with Peeps, attend services, enjoy matzoh dishes and memorialize the dearly departed, others may be consuming cannabis products with a sense of ceremony.—
Jeanie Pyun,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Fellow dictatorships including Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, and Iran lined up behind Maduro while Gonzalez fled the country during the reign of state terror against dissidents that followed the election.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Apr. 2025
-
April 19: McVeigh parks the truck outside the federal building and flees on foot to his getaway car.—
Todd Pendleton,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Smith then exited his vehicle, smoking a cigarette, and was immediately tased by one of the deputies.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
22 Apr. 2025
-
As the two fought, another suspect exited a car and joined in the confrontation, deputies said.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Since Trump came to office on Jan. 20, his administration has flown more than 200 people from the U.S. to El Salvador to be imprisoned in CECOT.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
14 Apr. 2025
-
In the show, Joel flies in like a bat out of hell and violently knocks Seth to the ground before telling him to get the hell out.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The company intended to move the drug into late-stage testing, which is generally the last phase of development before a company submits the potential treatment to government regulators for approval.—
Time,
Time,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The bill also included moving $1.1 million from the Constitutional Defense Fund into the Legislative Legal Defense Fund.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Consumers and businesses increasingly expect financial services to be built in, not bolted on.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
On Monday, both incoming freshmen recruits bolted as well: Carlsbad High School’s Jake Hall and Uriah Tenette from Prescott, Ariz.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This refreshing serum gets its tingle from peppermint and tea tree, which works with caffeine to invigorate the scalp and maximize the absorption of the formula’s peptides.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Buttery, flaky croissants peak through and get nice and toasty in the oven.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share