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Synonyms

flee

American  
[flee] / fli /

verb (used without object)

fled, fleeing

  1. to run away, as from danger or pursuers; take flight.

  2. to move swiftly; fly; speed.

verb (used with object)

fled, fleeing

  1. to run away from (a place, person, etc.).

    Synonyms:
    elude, shun, avoid, escape, evade
flee 1 British  
/ fliː /

verb

  1. to run away from (a place, danger, etc); fly

    to flee the country

  2. (intr) to run or move quickly; rush; speed

    she fled to the door
"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
flee 2 British  
/ fliː /

verb

  1. a Scot word for fly 1

"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

noun

  1. a Scot word for fly 2

"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

Usage

What does flee mean? To flee is to run away or escape from a dangerous or otherwise negative situation. Much less commonly, flee can be used to mean to move at a fast pace. The past tense of flee is fled. Example: He was forced to flee his home as a result of the impending battle.

Other Word Forms

  • fleer noun
  • outflee verb (used with object)
  • unfleeing adjective

Etymology

Origin of flee

First recorded before 900; Middle English fleen, Old English flēon; cognate with Old High German flichan ( German fliehen ), Gothic thliuhan; compare Old English fleogan “to fly”; fly 2

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.

I’ve enlisted the help of some of my colleagues who are also parents that understand the need to flee the house before nap time.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

"Muslim villages too... we stand with all the people of the south who were forced to flee their homes."

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Gov. Josh Green noted that the area was “still in this” on March 21, adding that there was a “statewide flood watch” through that weekend after urging residents in Waialua and Hale’iwa to flee.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Last week, the pope called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, saying more than a million people had been forced to flee their homes and urging the warring parties to hold talks.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Stand and look before you fight or flee.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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.