flee

verb

fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; fleeing

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.
2
: to pass away swiftly : vanish
mists fleeing before the rising sun

transitive verb

: to run away from : shun
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.
The driver had fled the scene by the time police arrived, according to the press release. Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024 Police released surveillance and body-camera footage showing a crowd of thousands of people in the streets when the suspect opened fire, causing chaos as people fled. Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 Around 90% of the population of 2.3 million have fled during the 13-month-old war, often multiple times. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Millions of residents fled New York and other cities after they were suddenly seized by gangs. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near flee

Cite this Entry

“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flee. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

flee

verb
fled ˈfled How to pronounce flee (audio) ; fleeing
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

More from Merriam-Webster on flee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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