as in to flee
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
we skedaddled as soon as we saw the snake entering our campsite
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Recent Examples of skedaddle
There’s good reason to skedaddle too since more than rest and mending are going on inside and out.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Many politicians with ambitions for higher office arrive at events, are introduced, wave, shake a few hands and skedaddled to the next block on the schedule.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
But not on this episode, because Abby and the gang were already skedaddling back to Seattle.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily, a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily and marking a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
The sun's peeping out, and the budding journalists skedaddle outside, where their friends are just arriving.
—Lauren Migaki, NPR, 22 Feb. 2025
The Confederates saw the score and promptly skedaddled.
—Scott Spillman, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025
Among the five Lab rats are two bosses: onscreen personality Edna (Chloë Sevigny) and Dave (Simon Rex), her partner in business and life, who soon skedaddles back to the States to deal with some legal matters that everyone but Edna is aware of.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Many politicians with ambitions for higher office arrive at events, are introduced, wave, shake a few hands and skedaddled to the next block on the schedule.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
But not on this episode, because Abby and the gang were already skedaddling back to Seattle.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily, a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
The Nazis took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and skedaddled to Sardinia, smoothing the way for the Allies to take Sicily and marking a major turning point in World War II.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
The sun's peeping out, and the budding journalists skedaddle outside, where their friends are just arriving.
—Lauren Migaki, NPR, 22 Feb. 2025
The Confederates saw the score and promptly skedaddled.
—Scott Spillman, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025
Among the five Lab rats are two bosses: onscreen personality Edna (Chloë Sevigny) and Dave (Simon Rex), her partner in business and life, who soon skedaddles back to the States to deal with some legal matters that everyone but Edna is aware of.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skedaddle
Verb
-
One occupant fled outside, while the other tried to fight the blaze, the department said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
This reform hasn’t fixed California’s cost-of-living issues or kept people from fleeing.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 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
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
In the third inning Rocker was faced with runners on the corners with Spencer Steer up to bat with two outs, and Rocker retired the left fielder in three pitches, ending with a ground out to third base to escape the inning with no damage.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Angels reliever Chase Silseth escaped a two-on, no-out jam in the seventh.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skedaddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skedaddle. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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