flee

verb

ˈflē How to pronounce flee (audio)
Definition of fleenext
1
as in to disappear
to cease to be visible the fog fled with the arrival of the dawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation a murderer who fled on foot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening a toddler who fled when the ladybug he had been quietly watching suddenly began flying around the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 flee Balaji Srinivasan, the network state guy, has fled to Singapore and is now planning to start his new nation in Kazakhstan, which is an authoritarian country. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, British Columbia declared a state of emergency after a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and forced more than 20,000 people to flee. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026 Born in London to parents who fled conflict in their native Hungary, Hilton began a career in politics with Britain’s Conservative Party after graduating from Oxford University. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Ulf’s dragon, Silverwing, flees the scene and lives out the rest of her days as a wild dragon. — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flee
  1. disappear
  2. escape
  3. retreat
  4. vanish
  5. fly
  6. fade
  7. bolt
  8. run
Verb
  • That money has largely disappeared and billions in central bank reserves remain frozen by the US and its allies over the Taliban’s rights record.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • For Minimalists Specs AccordionItemContainerButton Sheer curtains don’t have to disappear into the background.
    — Nina Derwin, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappear
Verb
  • Cities across Colombia that escaped the worst of the earthquake were sending assistance to the affected areas.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The woman died in Meadow Valley, west of Summerland, while trying to escape, authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Netanyahu says Israel will not retreat from any of its positions in Gaza until Hamas has been completely disarmed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • When the Hills couple faced financial issues after the show ended, the two retreated to Pratt’s parents’ beach home in Carpinteria, California, to get back to regular life.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • Once the veteran players and most of the top seeds vanished from the Canadian Open, succumbing to injury and upset, the stakes of the tournament in Montreal took on a new edge.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Chinese consumers have stopped paying premium prices for brands that lack premium status, which is why Volkswagen, Toyota, and the other foreign incumbents have nearly vanished from the rankings.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of vanish
Verb
  • So a new grant, under the early-stage NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, aims to create small, flying vehicles that could explore those caves.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • When not searching for glass floats, enjoy other pastimes like tide pooling, beachcombing, and kite flying (home to two kite festivals, Lincoln City calls itself the Kite Capital of the World).
    — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • Starring Zhou Xun, Wang Xiao and Tian Zhuangzhuang, the film revolves around a middle-aged former TV host whose memory starts to slowly fade, forcing her to confront the fractures within her family and the choices that shaped her life.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • But workers who are rusting out still report to their shifts and perform, although with a fading sense of purpose.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of fade
Verb
  • That requires identity to become infrastructure, not an afterthought bolted onto checkout.
    — Raj Ananthanpillai, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That work is arguably getting harder as chief executives stay in the job longer, causing their possible successors to get restless; some are bolting to jobs elsewhere or retiring themselves.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • Birds chirp from atop the towering oak trees, and the peacefully running fountains set the tone for a serenity that'll carry through your weekend.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Payton wanted his starters to see the field for roughly 15 plays in the preseason opener, but the Falcons ran only 13 plays on their first four possessions combined.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of run

Browse Nearby Words

fledglings
flee
fleece
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flee. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flee

Nglish: Translation of flee for Spanish Speakers

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