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
After their father dies in a lynching, identical twins Stella and Desiree flee their rural Louisiana town to start fresh in New Orleans.
—
Susan Walter
june 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Many actors fled to cheaper cities, while the lower barrier to entry meant more people decided to enter the field.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 6 June 2025
Officers approached the suspect, but the individual immediately fled on foot into a nearby building, police said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 6 June 2025
But in 1986, after three years of public protests, the Marcoses fled into exile, with a planeload of jewels, cash, and gold bars.
—Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flee
Susan Walter
june 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Many actors fled to cheaper cities, while the lower barrier to entry meant more people decided to enter the field.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 6 June 2025
Officers approached the suspect, but the individual immediately fled on foot into a nearby building, police said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 6 June 2025
But in 1986, after three years of public protests, the Marcoses fled into exile, with a planeload of jewels, cash, and gold bars.
—Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flee
Verb
-
This marks a significant expansion of the President's Choice line, which sees its limited-release bottles quickly disappear into the hands of bourbon collectors and whiskey enthusiasts.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
All the Ubaldo family possessions disappeared; dead bodies littered the devastation.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Set in a vibey, transportive space that feels straight out of a Dubai or Beirut hotspot, Laya serves up a Sunday brunch escape… with a generous mouthful of garlic.—
Chelsea Frank,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
Heat escapes its atmosphere so quickly that, were one to stand at its equator at noon with skin exposed — not a great idea!—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2025
Verb
-
Also, market reaction to further tariff moves may cause Trump to retreat to the point that the effect of any tariff actions is fairly nominal.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
The soldiers fired warning shots and then opened fire when the suspects would not retreat, according to the IDF.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Nova Scotia's Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Wednesday that investigators have conducted polygraph interviews as part of the effort to determine what happened to Lilly and Jack Sullivan, siblings who vanished from their home in Lansdowne Station on May 2.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
-
Fans rapidly purchased the several thousand available copies, after which the collection vanished.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
In a slight twist on the usual, the chefs not only get to choose their own sous-chefs, but only those sous-chefs have been flown to Italy for the occasion.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
-
Fifty aircraft including combat helicopters will fly overhead.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
Despite the metaverse hype having faded, Infinite Reality shows that investor belief in immersive environments remains, especially when linked to creator infrastructure or enterprise applications. 4.—
Elena Volotovskaya,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
When McBride isn’t answering the director’s questions and when Joynt is able to fade into the background, the documentary, which asserts little visual style other than fly-on-the-wall presence, is able to witness moments that showcase the unguarded McBride.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Compliance By Design: Don’t bolt on risk reviews at the end.—
Abhishek Gandotra,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, Guy has, of course, bolted, taking the satchel back to his gang.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
The state’s current governor, Democrat Phil Murphy, can't run again after serving two terms.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
10 June 2025
-
The 2,000 feet of temporary fencing around the perimeter was about three times last year’s size, the number of booths grew from about 40 to 100 and the event ran for eight hours compared to last year’s three, according to organizer Tom Wheeler.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flee. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share