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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.

Committed soldiers have been fighting without rest for years, and unenthusiastic new draftees are increasingly going AWOL.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

The Church's own published list of accused clergy marks his case as "not yet resolved" with no final determination of guilt or innocence, noting simply that he is "AWOL" - absent without leave.

From BBC • May 6, 2025

For James to decide to go AWOL, he could have ended up in military prison.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2024

Weather officials had been warning Californians about the wrath of El Niño for months — even as some residents had begun to think the typically soaking climate pattern had gone AWOL.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2024

It was there that he met Ronnie York, who was also under sentence for having gone AWOL.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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.