fly the coop

1. To get away or escape: “The Hendersons found the cocktail party rather dull and decided to fly the coop.”

Idioms and Phrases

Escape, run away, as in After years of fighting with my mother, my father finally flew the coop. This term originally meant “escape from jail,” known as the coop in underworld slang since the late 1700s. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Big Bear Lake’s famed bald eagle couple has flown the coop, and naturalists are pointing to the city’s July 4th fireworks celebration as the likely culprit.

From Los Angeles Times

The woman hired to take care of it all — who had power of attorney over the property — had flown the coop, neighbors said, along with truckloads of goods.

From Los Angeles Times

But while “eggflation” has calmed temporarily, bird flu has not flown the coop.

From Washington Post

A Bronx Zoo peacock flew the coop Wednesday night and attacked a man before it nestled high up in a tree.

From Washington Times

As of Thursday evening, the vulture had not eaten since he first flew the coop.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• avoid 
• depart 
• disappear 
• dodge 
• elude 
• emerge 
• evade 
• flee 
• fly 
• leave 
• run 
• slip 
• slip away www.thesaurus.com
• vanish