abscond
Americanverb (used without object)
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absconds,
present (3rd person singular)
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absconded,
past participle, past
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absconding
present participle
verb
Usage
What does abscond mean? Abscond means to leave secretly and suddenly, especially to avoid being caught, punished, or put on trial. The word typically implies that someone has left because they have done something wrong and want to avoid any consequences. Criminals abscond to get away with their crimes. A more informal term for abscond is make one’s getaway. Abscond is often followed by the word with and the thing that the person has absconded with, such as the things they’ve stolen, as in It’s too late—he’s already absconded with the diamond!In a legal context, abscond is often used to mean that someone has left to avoid prosecution or legal proceedings that have already begun. Abscond is sometimes used in a humorous way to liken someone to a criminal, as in Jeff absconded with the rest of the doughnuts or The dog absconded with my cheeseburger. A person who absconds can be called an absconder or an abscondee. Example: The thieves absconded with the loot before the authorities arrived at the scene.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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abscondsimple
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abscondssimple
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have abscondedperfect
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has abscondedperfect
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am abscondingprogressive
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are abscondingprogressive
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is abscondingprogressive
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have been abscondingperfect progressive
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has been abscondingperfect progressive
Past
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abscondedsimple
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had abscondedperfect
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was abscondingprogressive
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were abscondingprogressive
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had been abscondingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of abscond
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin abscondere “to hide or stow away,” equivalent to abs- abs- + condere “to stow” ( con- con- + -dere “to put”; see do 1)
Explanation
Abscond is to escape, often taking something along. As a kid, you may have absconded from your lemonade stand — with the coffee can of cash in hand, and your bewildered sister still filling cups for your customers. Abscond is generally used to describe someone running from law or capture, and the word abscond has been in use since the early 16th century — running away and hiding being nothing new. Dogs who get off the leash and dart into the woods are not necessarily absconding; they are simply making a break for it. On the other hand, the Ponzi schemer who went to live in the South of France with his client's money? He absconded.
Vocabulary lists containing abscond
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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.
See Examples For:
But two reliably fine veterans all but abscond with the show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The Man of Steel combats gigantic robots programmed to abscond with jewels and other valuables and then take to the air to return to their mad-genius minder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
His house was encumbered with liens and he’d sold a “prop plane” that prosecutors cited when arguing he was a risk to abscond, Maitia said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
An inquest has found a woman, who died while trying to abscond from a psychiatric ward, did not intend to take her own life.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2024
“I’m walking Maya to first period. Unless, of course, you want to abscond with her?”
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
She said the rate of absconds was "coming down substantially", with 57 cases in the year ending March 2025 compared to 143 in the year ending March 2020.
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026
As excellent as Alikhan’s staging has been throughout, Majok absconds without having to commit herself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
In beta decay, he speculated, a second, unseen particle emerges with the electron and absconds with a random fraction of the energy.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 29, 2017
The subject, though, is topical enough: backstage drama during the production of an opera, at the end of which the presenter absconds with all the money.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2016
“Because some boys when they absconds, makes mistakes, and takes what isn’t theirs.”
From The Story of Antony Grace by George Manville Fenn
An on-the-run killer who absconded after being permitted to attend his father's funeral in Northern Ireland 10 days ago has appeared in court in the Republic of Ireland, where he was arrested on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
At some stage on Monday morning, he absconded from his court-approved civilian chaperone.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Anderson was released from Maghaberry Prison to attend the funeral, but absconded from his court-approved civilian chaperone.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Last year, North Koreans absconded with $1.5 billion from crypto exchange Bybit, the largest crypto heist ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
He absconded from the Florida cane fields and made it to Tennessee before a tinker caught him stealing food from his pantry.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
In the 1940s, for example, he sets out to collect scrap iron for the war effort and ends up absconding with a private collection of military memorabilia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
But was it an egregious, personal error, akin to Totenberg stealing into Alito’s hotel room and absconding with an internal organ, as it has been widely treated?
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
"Before making a recommendation the parole board conducts a thorough assessment of the offender's risk of harm and risk of absconding," said Davies-Jones.
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026
A third man who is suspected of absconding at the same time was arrested in Bristol on Saturday.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2026
In addition to absconding with twenty-five thousand dollars and giving Milton false hopes of my return, Father Mike was abandoning his own family.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
