bugged out

verb

past tense of bug out
1
as in fled
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 departed
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 bugged out Matt, your eyes just really bugged out! — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugged out
  1. fled
  2. departed
  3. retreated
  4. exited
  5. bolted
  6. moved
  7. escaped
  8. got
Verb
  • The man then fled and attempted to take his own life in a shooting in Pasadena, officials said.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The other person, who police believe to be a man, fled the scene before officers arrived, Gonzalez said.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fled
Verb
  • The show lasted for six seasons, with its finale on April 24, 1977, but Saint James had departed early over a contract dispute.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That would be Anthony Vaccarello, who departed Saint Laurent earlier this month after a decade as creative director.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of departed
Verb
  • As the Laurentide retreated across the plateau, tundra plants colonized the newly bare ground.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As the world has become more and more connected, governments have retreated from global problems.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • Oxygen entered these suits through ports on the waist and exited through the helmet.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The frustration spilled over for Aaron Gordon in the fourth quarter when he was assessed a double-technical and exited the court.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of exited
Verb
  • The teacher bolted from the room as the shooter reached for his shotgun.
    — Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The bill was renamed in June after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India, died while jumping after his mother when their carriage horse bolted on a sightseeing tour in the park.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolted
Verb
  • Deloitte found only 25% of organizations have moved 40% or more of their AI pilots into production.
    — Chris Koehler, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Trees fell onto homes and utility poles were knocked down by a possible tornado in a central Arizona community during a series of violent storms that moved through the state overnight into Thursday.
    — Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of moved
Verb
  • Concerns mounted in July, when OpenAI disclosed that two of its models escaped containment, accessed the open internet and breached a company called Hugging Face.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • So far, these productions have largely escaped disruption, but the riots have rattled film crews and prompted warnings from Hollywood studios’ security departments.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of escaped
Verb
  • To add to it, backup running back Tyler Goodson got his most burn as a Cowboy, rushing for 38 yards on 10 carries.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
  • It's got a set of pedals, as well as a twist-throttle on the right bar, controlling a 750-W nominal, 1,310-W peak, 85-Nm (63-lb-ft) electric motor between the rear wheels.
    — Loz Blain October 26, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of got

Browse Nearby Words

bugged off
bugged out
bugger
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Cite this Entry

“Bugged out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugged%20out. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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