bug out
Britishverb
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Bulge, as in The news will make her eyes bug out with astonishment . This expression was originally used literally for bulging eyes and later used more loosely as a sign of astonishment. [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
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Leave, run out, as in This conference is a bore; I think I'll bug out . This usage originated as military slang for deserting and today is used more loosely. [ Slang ; c. 1950]
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.
The problem is that’s the kind of value that makes Scrooge McDuck dollar signs bug out of Hollywood executives’ heads.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026
When I booked a Tesla for my recent Miami trip, the daily rate didn’t cause my eyes to bug out.
From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2021
If he fails to secure a deal, and if Morning Joe loses patience with him, he is liable to bug out.
From Slate • Sep. 14, 2017
I had the camera app bug out a few times, but generally it's been fast and stable.
From The Verge • Aug. 18, 2017
Or a really neat-looking bug out by the bike rack.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
