1
as in retreating
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 departing
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 bugging out
Her baby's father answered the door with his eyes bugging out, and Frierson barged in to find two other guys, needles, spoons and powder on the table.
—
Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging out
Verb
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Ndiaye also declined to clear the ball, instead trying to thread a pass to retreating teammate Jake Dengler inside the 18-yard box.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
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Police said security footage from the store shows customers staring and retreating before 53-year-old Tammy Canut of North Huntingdon walks into the frame naked.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Matts is departing the company, a Hallmark spokesperson tells The Hollywood Reporter.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
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Tickets for flights departing later in April were up 24%, to $286, for the airline.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Graham isn’t the only member of Congress to be seen fleeing town as soon as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson allowed them.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Police said Wang had slashed their throats and concocted a story about arriving home and shooting at a fleeing intruder responsible for the killings.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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McBride, making a hustle play midway through the third quarter of Tuesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, grabbed at the same area that required surgery just two months ago before exiting the game for good.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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After swinging around the far side of the moon and exiting the lunar sphere of influence, three small burns will ensure Orion is on the right course for splashdown, with the last one occurring on the 10th day of the flight.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fort Collins now has drones flying the city nearly every day as a resource to the police, fire and utilities departments.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Meteor showers such as the Lyrids can be tracked yearly, because the debris flying through the night sky in fiery streaks is coming from the same comet.—
Hali Smith
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The average retirement age declined steadily in America for decades until around 1990, when the average started moving up again.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mancini coached Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 then failed to get the Azzurri to the next year’s World Cup before bolting to take over Saudi Arabia’s national team.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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That was, until September 2024 when Gunner was sunbathing outside and suddenly spotted a bunny, bolting after it immediately.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Europe turned inward, with trade currents mostly running along navigable rivers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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People can be seen running along the top of the bus and sitting on the front bumper as the driver stares glumly ahead from inside windows tagged with graffiti.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugging out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging%20out. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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