1
as in to disappear
to cease to be visible
the fog fled with the arrival of the dawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Many point out the irony that ahead of Passover, Israelis are fleeing the country through the land border crossing with Egypt to the Sinai desert, while the holiday commemorates the story of ancient Israelites leaving Egypt via Sinai to Israel.
—
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Heifler allegedly planned to flee the country after carrying out the attack and intended to wear gloves to avoid leaving DNA evidence, according to the complaint.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Officers discovered that Herrera had fled to El Salvador days prior to the discovery of Morfin-Rojas’ body.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee
march 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
The country’s most vocal activists fled the island after Cuba’s repression of the nationwide protest on July 11, 2021 — the ones in which Duannis Taboada marched.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flee
ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Heifler allegedly planned to flee the country after carrying out the attack and intended to wear gloves to avoid leaving DNA evidence, according to the complaint.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Officers discovered that Herrera had fled to El Salvador days prior to the discovery of Morfin-Rojas’ body.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee
march 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
The country’s most vocal activists fled the island after Cuba’s repression of the nationwide protest on July 11, 2021 — the ones in which Duannis Taboada marched.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flee
Verb
-
The deputy gang narrative was a political campaign created to discredit my administration, never used during the McDonnell era, and mysteriously disappeared during the current administration.—
Opinion Staff,
Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Predators disappeared, resulting in an explosion in deer, further degrading the woodlands and peatlands.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, fire crews only had to focus on getting the fire out as the two families were able to escape on their own.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The challenge is not to retreat from circulation, but to insist that circulation be thought through, grounded in specific places and their conditions, and accountable, open to friction, contamination, and transformation rather than insulated coherence.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The neighborhood/area Upscale with large avenues, grand villas, and plenty of greenery, Parioli’s the perfect place to retreat to after a day’s sightseeing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After alerting a flight attendant, the woman vanished into the rest room to avoid further entanglement.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The Furry Tales coexisted with candy characters for about a decade before quietly vanishing in the 1980s.—
John Haddad,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By then, red flags were already flying.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The pair launched a fundraiser to pay for more helicopter flying hours and advanced search gear.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The leader of the Ex-Slave Pension Association was later imprisoned on mail fraud charges, and the organization faded away, while the Eagles became one of the pressure groups that eventually led to Social Security.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Pensions faded, and a new system of 401(k) retirement savings rewarded Americans for working longer.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their Orion capsule bolted out of orbit around Earth right on cue and chased after the moon to nearly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Kansas City councilman Nathan Willett also filed to run for the seat after Graves’ announcement.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Which is also super hazardous for someone in a massive suit running around [laughs].—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flee. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
