flee
verb (used without object)
to run away, as from danger or pursuers; take flight.
were fleeing
-
past progressiveof flee.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Born in Liberia, she was brought to the UK as a five-year-old by her parents who were fleeing the country’s civil war in 1986 - the family were granted asylum in the late 1980s.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
In 1939, more than 900 Jewish refugees who were fleeing Nazi Germany aboard the MS St. Louis were turned away by Cuba and the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
Civilians were fleeing Kurdish neighbourhoods of Aleppo on Wednesday after the Syrian army declared them "closed military zones", amid ongoing fighting with Kurdish-led forces in the northern city.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
He and his whole extended family were fleeing their homes in the village of Barbara - famed for its grapes, wheat, corn and barley - in what had been British-ruled Palestine.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025
She headed for the farm, following other people who were fleeing, and falling into the same garbage ditch that I did along the way.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
