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
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Also, market reaction to further tariff moves may cause Trump to retreat to the point that the effect of any tariff actions is fairly nominal.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025 -
The soldiers fired warning shots and then opened fire when the suspects would not retreat, according to the IDF.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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The 26-year-old England full-back will depart Anfield after nine years with the first team that brought 352 appearances, 23 goals, 86 assists and eight domestic, European and world trophies.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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After the ceremony ended, Trump quickly departed to play a round of golf.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
Verb
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But in 1986, after three years of public protests, the Marcoses fled into exile, with a planeload of jewels, cash, and gold bars.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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Buckley then fled on foot, but shot himself with a handgun after Malvern police confronted him less than a half-mile to the north near Sand and Mt. Willow roads, the release states.—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Verb
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That’s what happened in 2008, the last time the BOJ tried to exit its deflation-era policy framework.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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The topic of Ventura surfaced in those discussions, during which Clark disclosed her earlier comments urging Ventura to exit the relationship.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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This technology allows even those with limited flying experience to handle the bike safely and confidently.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2025
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Perez was intentionally walked to load the bases, but the Royals stranded all three runners as Maikel Garcia flew out to right field.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 2025
Verb
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The two new fire stations, plus the new fire department headquarters that is set to hold a relocated Fire Station 4, are being moved at the recommendation of a 2021 plan that looked to lower emergency response times.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
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Word moved around the ticket-holders, likely waiting for Novak Djokovic’s match to follow this one, that one of their own was doing something special.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Five-year-old Amber bolted in late April, a day after arriving in London from Qatar, where she was rescued from the streets.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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Where the trunk narrowed higher in the tree, Flores bolted spikes into the bark to make the final few steps into the structure.—
Liam Dillon,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Clients would get the remains of not only their loved one, but also the remains of other bodies.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
2 June 2025
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Left-hander Pierce Coppola got the start and, after a dominant return against Alabama to the tune of 10 strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, just couldn’t find the zone.—
Jackson Castellano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug%20out. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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