flee

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.

The first records of flee come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English flēon. The related Old English word fleogan means “to fly” (and is the basis for fly).

Humans can’t fly, of course, but flee implies the quickness and urgency with which a bird flies away. In fact, one of the meanings of the verb fly is “to flee or escape,” and a common synonym of flee is take flight. When we talk about the fight-or-flight reaction, the flight part doesn’t refer to actual flying—it means fleeing. Flee means “to run away,” and fleeing often involves literally running, but people can flee in all kinds of ways, including using vehicles. The best way to flee is whatever gets you out of a bad situation the fastest.

Flee typically implies that the bad situation is a very dangerous one. Refugees are usually fleeing from war, violence, or famine. Sometimes, however, people flee when they shouldn’t. Drivers who have hit someone or have caused an accident and have driven away are often said to have fled the scene.

What are some other forms related to flee?

• fled (past tense verb)
• outflee (verb)
• fleer (noun)
• unfleeing (adjective)

What are some synonyms for flee?

• run away
• take flight
• escape
• fly

What are some words that share a root or word element with flee? 

• fly
• flight

What are some words that often get used in discussing flee?

• depart
• home
• fast
• rapidly
• scene
• danger
• war
• oppression

What are some words flee may be commonly confused with?

• flea

Flee is often used in reference to situations that are very dangerous—those in which people are fleeing for their lives.

They run into burning buildings as we flee them. They approach where bullets are fired as we frantically escape the danger. They mobilize for natural disasters as we shudder in fear of our lives. First Responders — a rare & cherished subset of our species.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) February 9, 2018

Some call parents w/kids in caravan, “reckless”. Many of my Cuban friends were sent here alone as kids -to live w/strangers in a foreign land. Castro wouldn’t let adults flee. Others brought kids in rafts. Many died on journey. Loving desperate parents will do desperate things.

— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) November 27, 2018

Detectives are investigating after six people were wounded by gunfire, one fatally, at 3rd and Pine. The suspect(s) fled the scene. If you have information about this incident, please call our tip line at (206) 233-5000

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) January 23, 2020

Is flee used correctly in the following sentence?

The suspects chose to flee the scene instead of staying and assisting the victim of the accident.