bugs out

verb

present tense third-person singular of bug out
1
as in flies
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exits
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

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 bugs out The cuffed hemline can also be tightened as needed—a tiny detail that’s extra useful for keeping bugs out of your pant legs during outdoor adventures. — Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 11 July 2026 The gazebo also includes transparent panels designed to keep pesky bugs out without obstructing the breeze or your views. — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 Sealing cracks, maintaining your yard, and using insect barriers are the most effective ways to keep boxelder bugs out. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugs out
  1. flies
  2. exits
  3. retreats
  4. departs
  5. flees
  6. moves
  7. bolts
  8. bugs off
Verb
  • FlyDubai, owned by the Emirati government, flies 10 round trips a day.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Life cycle Female apple maggot flies lay 300 to 500 eggs over their 30-day life span.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of flies
Verb
  • The museum now has up to six entrances and exits that visitors can come in and out of to curate their own journey.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Phillies’ 2022 World Series loss to the Houston Astros began a streak of five straight postseason appearances with progressively quicker exits — the NL Championship Series, two NLDS exits and now the wild-card loss.
    — Charles Odum, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of exits
Verb
  • The front retreats to the north, but chances of rain stick around into early Friday as the shortwave (small disturbance) pushes out of the area.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Havelock neither retreats to the closet nor holds out hope for resolution via vigilante justice.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreats
Verb
  • The federal program departs from most state programs by not forcing students to leave public school to qualify for the scholarship.
    — Bianca Vázquez Toness, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As our lower pressure departs eastward — caught up with a racing Hurricane Polo — the upper atmospheric pattern will change dramatically.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of departs
Verb
  • Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As the dust settles, John flees, but Zoe comes with a gun to finish off Hal in the rubble.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of flees
Verb
  • Riley was a direct inspiration on the record, and while the Bay Area composer did work with drones, his influence is more poignant here, in the way Schwendener breaks the melody down into pieces and moves them around.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Bits per second is commonly used in BCI research to quantify how quickly and accurately a user can select intended targets, rather than simply measuring how fast a cursor physically moves.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of moves
Verb
  • Then, the unit bolts to the van, becoming a secure load that happens to contain a full living suite.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
  • When a company bolts AI on without building it into the way the company works, the company can end up paying a great deal of money for a capability its competitors already share.
    — Mohamed Khater, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolts
Verb
  • To keep pesky bugs off your skin, the pants feature a rope lock around the cuffs.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
  • Blast bugs off your house with the garden hose.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Definition of bugs off

Browse Nearby Words

bugs off
bugs out
build
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Cite this Entry

“Bugs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugs%20out. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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