eloped; eloping

intransitive verb

1
a
: to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent
… Waterman was a peevish child who grew into a defiant teenager, eloped at 18 largely to shock his father, and then—far too young—was a father himself.Elizabeth Gilbert
b
: to run away from one's spouse with a lover
" … when they had been married nearly seven years, and were within a few weeks of the time when the brother's death would have adjusted all, she eloped with a younger man, and left him."Charles Dickens
2
a
: to slip away : escape
… might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield.Washington Irving
b
: to leave a health care or educational facility without permission or authorization
…10 suicidal patients deemed 'high risk for suicide' eloped from the Emergency Department from October 2014 and February 2015.Charles S. Clark
Police in Ohio said this week that they gave a nursing home resident a ride and dropped him off at a gas station without ever knowing he was a dementia patient who had eloped.Kimberly Marselas
elopement noun
plural elopements
… the young couple at a nearby table sent over some of their dessert, a slice of cake specially ordered to celebrate their elopement. David Massey
… if the child is afraid of loud noises or crowded environments, a classroom could be intimidating and cause him to be anxious. He might engage in problematic behaviors such as elopement (running away), hand flapping, or yelling … Erica Kearney
eloper noun
plural elopers
And of course, Las Vegas is no longer just for elopers. With all the elegant hotels springing up in Sin City, more couples are choosing to haul the whole wedding party out and do things up right. John Winters

Examples of elope in a Sentence

The couple eloped in the middle of the night.
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.
The couple eloped to Las Vegas and married on May 1, 1996. Esther Kang, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025 The movie follows a 23-year-old stripper named Ani (Madison) who elopes with the son of a rich Russian family named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) after meeting him at her club. Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 3 Mar. 2025 Moving from romantic comedy to crime thriller and other wild tonal territories, the low-budget indie follows Ani (Madison), a New York stripper who elopes with the son of an uber rich Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn) and enters a world of trouble. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 Mar. 2025 Baker’s tale of an erotic dancer who elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch – unusually explicit for a best-picture winner – was made for just $6 million. Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elope

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French aloper, esloper to abduct, run away

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of elope was in 1593

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elope. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

elope

verb
eloped; eloping
: to run away secretly especially to get married without parental consent
elopement noun
eloper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on elope

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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