Synonyms

go AWOL

Cultural

To take unauthorized time off from work, school, or other duties: “Let's go AWOL and catch a baseball game this afternoon.” AWOL is an acronym for “absent without leave [permission].” The term originated with the military during World War I.

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.

Can you take us inside James's head when he does go AWOL?

From Salon

For James to decide to go AWOL, he could have ended up in military prison.

From Salon

Others grow curious and go AWOL.

From Salon

While it is technically possibly for an IUD to go AWOL—well, according to a piece in Self by Zahra Barnes:

From Slate

At Plant Shop Seattle, pieces of jade plants and succulents often go awol.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023