Synonyms of fleenext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to run away often from danger or evil : fly
The family fled from the war-torn zone.
b
: to hurry toward a place of security
Refugees fled to a neighboring country.
c
law : to evade arrest, detention, or prosecution
2
: to pass away swiftly : vanish
mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from
fled the scene of the accident
Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.

Examples of flee in a Sentence

The family fled from Nazi Germany to Britain in 1936. He was accused of trying to flee the scene of the accident. Many people fled the city to escape the fighting. He was forced to flee the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Finland fought several wars with the Soviet Union In its wars with the Soviet Union, Finland lost around 11% of its territory, and more than 400,000 people, around 12% of the population, fled their homes from an area that is now in western Russia. Emma Burrows, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 Official’s return Prior to fleeing to the United States, Hédouville was the subject of an investigation by Haiti’s anti-corruption agency, L’Unité de Lutte Contre la Corruption. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Authorities are looking for the driver who fled Wednesday night after striking and killing a bicyclist who had stopped to repair her bicycle on Franklin Boulevard in south Sacramento, the California Highway Patrol said. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Ronnie and Rita Alam fled Rmeish with their two daughters in March, as Israeli bombardment intensified around them. Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flee

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flen, from Old English flēon; akin to Old High German fliohan to flee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of flee was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flee. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
a
: to run away often from danger or evil : fly
b
: to run away from : shun
2
: to pass away swiftly : vanish
the mist fled before the rising sun
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