abscond

verb

ab-ˈskänd How to pronounce abscond (audio)
Definition of abscondnext
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation the burglar was trying to abscond with the jewels when he tumbled down the stairs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abscond Over a ten-day period in August 2021, tanker trucks absconded with more than 230,000 gallons of fuel, according to the supplier’s court filings. — Brian Slodysko, Fortune, 20 July 2026 Over a 10-day period in August 2021, tanker trucks absconded with more than 230,000 gallons of fuel, according to the supplier’s court filings. — Brian Slodysko, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 The Iliad tells the story of the war itself, which began when the Trojan prince Paris absconded with Helen, the wife of Meneleus, the king of Sparta. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 17 July 2026 The duo absconded with eight pieces of jewelry—including tiaras, a brooch, necklaces, and earrings—collectively valued at more than €88 million. — Tessa Solomon For Artnews, Robb Report, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for abscond
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abscond
  1. escape
  2. flee
  3. fly
Verb
  • Nuclear Children follows 18-year-old Isla Sparrow who, after the death of her father in a submarine accident, hopes to escape her grieving family and flee to university.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Messick escaped further damage by striking out Jose Siri and getting Campero to pop out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Crews struggled to contain a large wildfire near Reno, Nevada, that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes, destroyed structures and caused multiple injuries.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • More than a thousand people were forced to flee from a Croatian holiday resort last week, while hundreds more were evacuated from villages in western Germany and southwest France.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • However, what’s entirely unexpected is the sparrow continuing to fly around even when Hal takes his ring back.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • These include ballistic missiles, low-flying cruise missiles, aircraft, hypersonic threats, ships, and other surface targets.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of fly

Browse Nearby Words

abruptness
abscond
absconded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abscond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abscond. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All