decamp

American  

[dih-kamp] / dɪˈkæmp /

verb (used without object)

• decamps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• decamped,
  past participle,  past
• decamping
  present participle

1. to depart from a camp; to pack up equipment and leave a camping ground.

   We decamped before the rain began.

2. to depart quickly, secretly, or unceremoniously.

   The band of thieves decamped in the night.

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decamp British  

/ dɪˈkæmp /

verb

1. to leave a camp; break camp

2. to depart secretly or suddenly; abscond

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• decampment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• decamping
  present
• decamped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• decamp
  simple
• decamps
  simple
• have decamped
  perfect
• has decamped
  perfect
• am decamping
  progressive
• are decamping
  progressive
• is decamping
  progressive
• have been decamping
  perfect progressive
• has been decamping
  perfect progressive

Past

• decamped
  simple
• had decamped
  perfect
• was decamping
  progressive
• were decamping
  progressive
• had been decamping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will decamp
  simple
• will have decamped
  perfect
• will be decamping
  progressive
• will have been decamping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of decamp

1670–80; < French décamper, equivalent to dé- dis- ¹ + camper to encamp; see camp ¹

Explanation

When you decamp, you leave or depart very suddenly, or in secret. If your rent in Brooklyn keeps going up, you may decide to decamp to New Jersey. Use the verb decamp when people scram — especially when they relocate a household or a business to a new location. You'll probably be disappointed when your favorite pizza place decamps to another neighborhood, or if your best friend's family decamps to Canada. The word was originally a military term, literally meaning "leave camp," from the French décamper, from des-, "apart or away," and camp, "open space for military exercises."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decamp decamps decamped decamping

Then, of course, there is the added perk of the private beach, a rare draw in an area where Manhattanites regularly decamp during the warmer summer months.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

"They'd just decamp to Manchester and you wouldn't see them again until Tuesday or Wednesday the next week, looking like they'd had quite a good time."

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

That’s doubtful given that it has already spurred many billionaires to decamp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

Barron’s Karishma Vanjani writes that overseas investors’ desire to decamp from Treasuries is already a concern.

From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026

The principal spoke with such gravity that Christine and her classmates worried they might have to pack up their books and decamp for the other side of town at that very moment.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Trump has referred to the 504-acre property that he purchased in 2002 as his Summer White House, and he frequently decamps there for the weekends when it is too hot in Palm Beach, Fla.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Exhibit A: the band decamps to New Orleans to record their next record.

From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026

The London displays wrap up on Tuesday, when the fashion crowd decamps to Milan Fashion Week for more new season runway shows.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2023

This is normally the inflection point when an idiosyncratic filmmaker either smooths out his sensibilities to make a superhero movie or decamps to a streaming service in search of creative control at a bigger budget.

From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2022

BESENVAL, Baron, Commandant of Paris, on French Finance, in riot of Rue St. Antoine, on corruption of Guards, at Champ-de-Mars, apparition to, decamps, and Louis XVI.

From The French Revolution by Thomas Carlyle

Thousands of residents have decamped to temporary shelters.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Around noon Sunday, the group decamped to Nancy’s house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

In nearby Habana Vieja, the historic city center, nine families who decamped from a collapsed building three years ago are still living in a boxing gym.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

So he decamped to the country that paid him attention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Back at the Cave, they had stuff to do in the days before they decamped, but not as much as one might think.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Finch had emerged from the lowest level of college basketball imaginable, playing at Division III Franklin & Marshall before decamping to the steel town in Yorkshire to keep his playing career alive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

He had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lay the groundwork for the summit with the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov; to make sure there was a point in decamping to Budapest.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025

Immigration and births aren’t keeping up with the Golden Staters decamping for Texas and other states that boast a better cost of living.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2025

Phil’s beloved music and artistic director isn’t decamping for the New York Philharmonic for another two years, and the Bowl intends to take full advantage of his commanding presence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2024

But, for the moment, we must see about decamping.

From The Crystal Stopper by Maurice Leblanc