1
as in disappears
to cease to be visible
the fog fled with the arrival of the dawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escapes
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
a murderer who fled on foot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreats
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
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Recent Examples of flees
The president flees these tradeoffs as a matter of course and flip-flops unpredictably when pressures rise.
—
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Benedict’s offer is met with deafening silence, before Sophie flees his embrace in distress.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2026
What else is going on A Maserati driver kills a man and a dog crossing a Sherman Oaks street, flees the scene and then abandons the car.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
An alien known only as Experiment 626 (Chris Sanders) flees his home planet and crash-lands in Hawaii, where he is adopted by a grieving young girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase), who takes him for a dog and dubs him Stitch.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Jimmy flees and Bundle chases him through the train.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
From there, the pressure ramps up, with glimpses of Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito in pursuit as the missing girl flees from danger.
—Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … OCEAN ESCAPE – Sanctioned tanker flees US forces, now under Russian naval escort off Irish coast.
—FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
At the opening, Natalie, bored and filled with loathing for her parents, flees her family home by retreating into imaginary worlds of vivid, eroticized violence.
—Erin Somers, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
Benedict’s offer is met with deafening silence, before Sophie flees his embrace in distress.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2026
What else is going on A Maserati driver kills a man and a dog crossing a Sherman Oaks street, flees the scene and then abandons the car.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
An alien known only as Experiment 626 (Chris Sanders) flees his home planet and crash-lands in Hawaii, where he is adopted by a grieving young girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase), who takes him for a dog and dubs him Stitch.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Jimmy flees and Bundle chases him through the train.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
From there, the pressure ramps up, with glimpses of Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito in pursuit as the missing girl flees from danger.
—Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … OCEAN ESCAPE – Sanctioned tanker flees US forces, now under Russian naval escort off Irish coast.
—FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
At the opening, Natalie, bored and filled with loathing for her parents, flees her family home by retreating into imaginary worlds of vivid, eroticized violence.
—Erin Somers, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flees
Verb
-
The plant goes dormant and foliage disappears by late spring to summer.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Once everyone figures it out, the advantage disappears.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When cooked straight from frozen, that fractured surface dries quickly as moisture turns to steam and escapes before the interior fully softens.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In Austin, February is practically a monthlong ode to friendship, from brunches where the mimosas are mandatory to rooftop escapes, DIY adventures and dessert experiments that make staying in feel just as celebratory.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the production, Hayes plays Elliott, a writer grappling with creative paralysis who retreats to a remote cabin, only to find the line between imagination and reality dangerously blurred.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Written by Shlesinger and directed by Josephine Decker, the comedian stars as fortysomething aid worker Jamie, who, after getting abruptly and publicly dumped, retreats back to her hometown to spend a few months with her parents (Megan Mullally and Jeff Perry) until her next relief mission.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Remove the gap, and the premium vanishes.—
Joseph M. Singer,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When a mosquito comes and bites him, the bug immediately tastes the spice in his blood and flies away only to combust moments later.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Five cookline flies and two dishwasher area flies were landing on kitchen walls and shelves.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Finally, the nebula fades away and only a white dwarf is left behind.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
City of London skyline with 20 Fenchurch Street, affectionately nicknamed the Walkie Talkie as light fades at dusk on 27th November 2025 in London, United Kingdom.—
Hugh Leask,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Monroe Hammond joined Everyday Health in 2021 and now runs the news desk as an editor.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
OpenAI says the new model runs 25% faster than the previous version and achieves state-of-the-art performance while using fewer computing resources.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With that in mind, here are a few free agent options who could fit the Yankees if Bellinger bolts.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
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The canine then bolts across the field and is immediately chased by one horse, with about five more joining in moments later.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flees. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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