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Synonyms

AWOL

American  
[ey-wawl, ey-wol] / ˈeɪ wɔl, ˈeɪ wɒl /
Also absent without leave or awol,

adjective

  1. away from military duties without permission, but without the intention of deserting.

noun

  1. a soldier or other military person who is absent from duty without leave.

idioms

  1. go AWOL,

    1. to depart from military duty without leave.

    2. to absent oneself without explanation.

AWOL British  
/ ˈeɪwɒl /

adjective

  1. military absent without leave; absent from one's post or duty without official permission but without intending to desert

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
AWOL More Idioms  

  1. see absent without leave.

Etymology

Origin of AWOL

First recorded in 1915–20; A(bsent) W(ith)o(ut) L(eave)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Soup is the obvious recommendation for days when appetite has gone AWOL, but two in particular stand out as personal MVPs: the “tiny everything” pastina and rotisserie chicken congee.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026

Videos abound of Roombas terrorizing pets, making epic messes and going AWOL.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

Two hours later, around midnight, his commander responded: “I’m reporting you as AWOL, unauthorized abandonment of the unit. It was nice fighting together.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 25, 2023

Julia Lawson, an environmental scientist with the agency, said there are several potential reasons California’s wolverine — only the second specimen to be verified by experts in the last century — has gone AWOL.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2023

Here’s a quick peace story: A guy goes AWOL.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.