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
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Recent Examples of bugs out
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
The clear lids have a tight seal that locks the temperature in and keeps the fire ants and love bugs out.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
The clear lids have a tight seal that locks the temperature in and keeps the fire ants and love bugs out.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugs out
Verb
-
The 420,000-pound pole flies a 70-by-140-foot American flag that spans 9,800 square feet and weighs 250 pounds.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The 20-minute ride with Balloons Over Rum flies high above terrain once traversed by Bedouins and used as a backdrop for films like The Martian.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rhincodon typus, to use their scientific name, eat their ample fill by ram filter-feeding, vacuuming up gallons of water to strain out small prey before the water exits their gills.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
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The secondary rainbow is caused by a second reflection inside the droplet, and this ‘re-reflected’ light exits the drop at a different angle—50 degrees instead of 42 degrees for the red primary bow.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On this occasion, Joao Pedro retreats into midfield dragging his marker, Forest centre-back Morato, out of position to track him.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Wilks retreats to the front of his vehicle before briefly emerging and the officer then lets off a second round of gunfire.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
An American Airlines Airbus A321 taxis at San Diego International Airport as a United Airlines airplane departs on August 24, 2024 in San Diego, California.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The full Interconnect Tour departs from Deer Valley Resort in Park City, leading skiers on a traverse along the Wasatch Mountain range with visits to Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, and Snowbird.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Players take on the role of Enzo Favaro, a miner who survives a tunnel collapse and flees the pit after insubordinately attacking a cruel underboss.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Blazy gives Odhiang a deep hug, jogs around the runway, and flees toward the exit, smiling.—
Nathan Heller,
Vogue,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Fans will just have to be patient to see if anything moves forward.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
-
If his execution moves forward, Jennings will be the 16th inmate executed in Florida this year, double the state's previous record.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Parsley is a biennial that quickly bolts and dies the second year, and since second-year parsley is bitter, it’s typically grown as an annual.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Blast bugs off your house with the garden hose.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bugs out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugs%20out. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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