fled
ˈfled 
; fleeing
; fleeing
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
: to run away from : shun
Many people fled the city to escape the fighting.
Synonyms
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
When the police arrived, several shots were fired, and the crowd fled the scene, including the suspect.
—
USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Getting into Rebel Moon — Part Two spoilers, Kora (Sofia Boutella) told Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) about the events that led her to flee the Imperium.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Rob Two Hawks, a seventy-two-year-old who has lived most of his life a few blocks from the crash site, fled to the high-school gymnasium when the evacuation was ordered.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, people trying to flee burning neighborhoods packed the few thoroughfares in and out of town.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Rebecca Boone, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Once inside, the victim yelled for help and other family members came into the living room, prompting Walker to flee the area, according to police.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
More than 360,000 people have had to flee their homes because of gang violence, and 5.5 million Haitians are in need of humanitarian assistance.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
The prosecution argued in its rebuttal that the car and the bins were abandoned when the driver and passengers fled.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2024
Patricia Gallagher Newberry Last month, when a judge delayed the final trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre of the Rhoden family, Wilma McCoy fled the courtroom in tears.
—The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Getting into Rebel Moon — Part Two spoilers, Kora (Sofia Boutella) told Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) about the events that led her to flee the Imperium.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Rob Two Hawks, a seventy-two-year-old who has lived most of his life a few blocks from the crash site, fled to the high-school gymnasium when the evacuation was ordered.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, people trying to flee burning neighborhoods packed the few thoroughfares in and out of town.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Rebecca Boone, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Once inside, the victim yelled for help and other family members came into the living room, prompting Walker to flee the area, according to police.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
More than 360,000 people have had to flee their homes because of gang violence, and 5.5 million Haitians are in need of humanitarian assistance.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
The prosecution argued in its rebuttal that the car and the bins were abandoned when the driver and passengers fled.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2024
Patricia Gallagher Newberry Last month, when a judge delayed the final trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre of the Rhoden family, Wilma McCoy fled the courtroom in tears.
—The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flee
Cite this Entry
“Flee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flee. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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