verb
-
to run away from (a place, danger, etc); fly
to flee the country
-
(intr) to run or move quickly; rush; speed
she fled to the door
verb
noun
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.
Air traffic has slowed and foreigners are fleeing the Gulf, whose image of business-friendly stability has taken a huge hit.
From Barron's
Aguilar fled Tuesday from Santiago Canyon College while on a court-approved academic furlough from a juvenile probation facility, according to the Orange County Probation Department.
From Los Angeles Times
He then fled on foot, phoning his girlfriend to collect him.
From BBC
But in the middle of peak season, before the summer heat sets in, the barrage of Iranian missiles and drones since February 28 has sent tourists fleeing.
From Barron's
Marset had been on the run since July 2023, when fled his home in Santa Cruz, on the eve of a massive police operation to capture him.
From Barron's
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.
