bugout

[ buhg-out ]

noun

1. Military Slang. a hasty retreat from combat, especially in defiance of orders.
2. Slang. a person who is willfully absent from duties or obligations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bugout¹

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; noun use of verb phrase bug out “leave”

Example Sentences

Your bugout bag might be stocked better than anyone you know, and your wilderness training may be top-notch.

From Salon

On Jan. 11, another Oath Keeper, Jessica Watkins of Ohio, allegedly messaged a co-conspirator: “We’ve been organizing a bugout plan if the usurper is installed. . .Something like 20+ Oathkeepers going to Kentucky mountains on hundreds of acres apparently.”

From Washington Post

“We’ve been organizing a bugout plan if the usurper is installed,” the person’s Facebook message said.

From Washington Post

People in prison use the word “bugout” to refer to those with serious mental illness.

From New York Times

In a separate filing issued on Wednesday, prosecutors revealed evidence that two of Mr. Meggs’s co-defendants in the Oath Keepers case, Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl — both Ohio residents — swapped messages on Facebook just days after the Capitol attack, discussing a “bugout plan” if then-President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. actually took office.

From New York Times