flee

American  

[flee] / fli /

verb (used without object)

fled, fleeing

1. to run away, as from danger or pursuers; take flight.

2. to move swiftly; fly; speed.

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verb (used with object)

fled, fleeing

1. to run away from (a place, person, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   elude, shun, avoid, escape, evade

flee ¹ British  

/ fliː /

verb

1. to run away from (a place, danger, etc); fly

   to flee the country

2. (intr) to run or move quickly; rush; speed

   she fled to the door

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flee ² British  

/ fliː /

verb

1. a Scot word for fly 1

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noun

1. a Scot word for fly 2

Usage

What does flee mean? To flee is to run away or escape from a dangerous or otherwise negative situation. Much less commonly, flee can be used to mean to move at a fast pace. The past tense of flee is fled. Example: He was forced to flee his home as a result of the impending battle.

Other Word Forms

• fleer noun
• outflee verb (used with object)
• unfleeing adjective

Etymology

Origin of flee

First recorded before 900; Middle English fleen, Old English flēon; cognate with Old High German flichan ( German fliehen ), Gothic thliuhan; compare Old English fleogan “to fly”; fly ²

Explanation

If you bolt, scram, skedaddle, or get the heck of out Dodge, you flee. You run away fast. Don’t confuse flee with "flea." They sound alike, but the second kind is an insect whose bites make you itch. We get the word flee from Old English fleon. When you flee, you get away as quickly as you can. You might even take flight to escape — usually from a dangerous place or situation. In a moment of panic after stealing a cookie from the cookie jar, you might decide to flee the scene of the crime.

Example Sentences

I’d heard stories of what they’d done to a distant cousin of mine, who had to flee his home after his second child was born.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

More than 12 million have had to flee their homes, earning Sudan the unfortunate privilege of having the world’s worst displacement crisis.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

The U.S. had eight guided-missile destroyers in the region at the start of the conflict, which could be used to block or influence the movement of oil tankers that try to flee the Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Gov. Josh Green noted that the area was “still in this” on March 21, adding that there was a “statewide flood watch” through that weekend after urging residents in Waialua and Hale’iwa to flee.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

The clog bursts free, and people and animals flee together in a great squealing mass.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• depart
• desert
• fly
• get
• jump
• leave
• retreat
• take off
• vanish