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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

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

"I wouldn't equate my going to the hospital as going AWOL," Mr Austin replied.

From BBC • Feb. 29, 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

If there are any more, it could cause a cascading failure in the grid—and with so many electrical workers AWOL, there’s no telling when such a thing would be resolved.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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.