flee

[flee]

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

/ 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

flee

²

/ fliː /

verb

1. a Scot word for fly 1

noun

1. a Scot word for fly 2

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flee¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flee¹

Old English flēon ; related to Old Frisian fliā , Old High German fliohan , Gothic thliuhan

Example Sentences

As Israeli troops moved to occupy the area around the hospital, Hamas fighters fled.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Writing with both panoramic sweep and an acute eye for telling detail, Mr. Wallace begins his nearly 900-page behemoth with the influx of mainly Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Hitler’s Germany.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Hasina, who has fled to India, is on trial for crimes against humanity.

Read more on BBC

He swapped his fatigues for a suit and thanked the young people who took to the streets for weeks of protests that prompted President Andry Rajoelina to flee the country and led to his impeachment.

Read more on BBC

Rubio was convinced that only military might would bring change to Venezuela, which has been plunged into crisis under Maduro’s rule, with a quarter of the population fleeing poverty, violence and political repression.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• depart 
• desert 
• fly 
• get 
• jump 
• leave 
• retreat 
• take off 
• vanish 

When To Use

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.