1
as in fled
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in departed
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
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Recent Examples of bugged out
Matt, your eyes just really bugged out!
—
Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugged out
Verb
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The man struck Stallworth and started fighting with him, gaining control of the gun, tried to return fire and fled the scene, the affidavit states.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Accused of political incompetence, Bani Sadr was impeached by parliament in 1981 and subsequently fled into exile.—
Roxane Razavi,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chosen as the replacement to the game mid at-bat with a runner on first base when Chicago Cubs starter Cade Horton departed in the second inning, Rea had to get ready on the fly.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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The chief communications officer role at OpenAI has remained vacant since Hannah Wong departed earlier this year.—
Alyson Shontell,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Neither side has retreated from their maximalist claims, signaling that talks could be protracted.—
Nancy A. Youssef,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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Dion had retreated from performing after revealing she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological and autoimmune disorder that affects mobility and vocal ability.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The contest was delayed for about 10 minutes in the fourth after plate umpire Ron Kulpa exited due to taking a foul ball off his mask.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Michael Lorenzen took the mound with conviction to be part of the solution at Coors Field, and exited in disgrace.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the moment that deeply moved his former manager came in the top of the first, as the veteran shortstop readied himself for his first at-bat at Fenway as a visiting player.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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His income moved dramatically from year to year, from a high of around $166 million in 2021 to a low of around $8 million the following year.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Andrew Higgins, an aerospace engineer at McGill University, worries that the LEGO-like way that SR-1 Freedom has been planned—with lots of parts from different, unrelated projects just waiting to be bolted together—vastly understates the challenge ahead.—
David W. Brown,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Chiefs since bolted for a sweetheart deal in Kansas.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Things became chippy in the second quarter when Denver backup center Zeke Nnaji, pressed into action due to the injuries, got into an altercation with De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II after Murray and LJ Cryer exchanged shoves.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Arvidsson helped win the faceoff and got the puck back to McAvoy.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In one instance, a detainee escaped when there was no staff assigned to watch the perimeter fences.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Vivian smooths any potential strands that may have escaped from her low bun and then brushes up the steep stone steps to the front door.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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