Synonyms for flee
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Fly
abscond, escape, make off, take flight, turn tail, decamp, run, cut and run, fly the coop, bolt, skedaddle, depart, fly formal dated, vamoose slang, absquatulate slang, scarper slang UK
2. Beat a retreat
get, beat a retreat informal, run for it informal, beat it, make tracks, scram, jump slang dated
Definitions
- v. 1
To run away; to escape.
The prisoner tried to flee, but was caught by the guards.
- v. 2
To escape from.
Many people fled the country as war loomed.
Forms
- Past participle
- fled
e.g. fled → absconded, escaped, decamped, bolted…
Example sentences
- skedaddle I've got to skedaddle or I'll be late.
- elude Tom managed to elude the police for three weeks.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| flee | rising | |
| decamp | rising | |
| abscond | rising | |
| skedaddle | rising | |
| scram | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- get1, run1, fly1
- 4 letters
- jump1, bolt1
- 5 letters
- elude2, scram1
- 6 letters
- escape2, depart2, decamp2, namous
- 7 letters
- scamper2, abscond2, scarper, vamoose
- 9 letters
- skedaddle, shemozzle
- 12 letters
- absquatulate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (elude2 = 2 syllables).