FLEES Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

flees

verb

present tense third-person singular of flee

as in disappears

to cease to be visible the fog fled with the arrival of the dawn

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as in escapes

to get free from a dangerous or confining situation a murderer who fled on foot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in retreats

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening a toddler who fled when the ladybug he had been quietly watching suddenly began flying around the room

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flees At the end of the 2001 film, Rodriguez’s Letty flees the country. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 Holden eagerly rebels against Pencey Prep, gets the boot, and flees to New York City, a place with its own vices and hazards, but without the sort of propaganda and pretense that obscure the school’s dark underside. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 Ulf’s dragon, Silverwing, flees the scene and lives out the rest of her days as a wild dragon. — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 In the fairytale, the princess flees to another kingdom for a while to get away from the misery brought on by her father, finding work as a commoner to conceal her identity. — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 After desecrating the statue, the vandal returns the hammer to his pocket, scales the fence and flees into the night, the footage shows. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 When her best friend’s family suddenly flees under suspicious circumstances, taking her away with them, 10-year-old Lucía gathers her gang to launch a plan inspired by their favorite superheroes. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026 Dunn, having none of it, stabs Dickie 20 times with a broken liquor bottle–with pants around his ankles, no less–while Alma flees out a window. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 With no idea what's going on, Dylan flees the FBC to find that the Hiss — otherworldly crimson monsters from another dimension — have overrun Manhattan. — George Yang, Space.com, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flees

Verb

When his detective twin brother, James, disappears, Ludwig impersonates him to help his sister-in-law, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), solve the mystery.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Aug. 2026
When a lake abruptly disappears, that’s a strong indicator that the ice-rich permafrost has thawed.

— Anna Liljedahl, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of disappears

Verb

According to the report, most of the cancer risk - 74% - comes from a single pollutant, benzo[a]pyrene, that escapes through leaks in pipe fittings and storage tanks.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
From beachfront retreats in Miami to remote escapes off the coast of Newfoundland, these are the best of the best hotels across the US and Canada.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of escapes

Verb

With the bulk of his work at practice done for the day, Achord retreats to the back of the end zone with Koonz, squatting and scribbling something on paper.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Twice a day, the tide retreats from the shoreline, sometimes for up to two miles.

— Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of retreats

Verb

In Figments of Freedom, written, directed by and starring Webber, a Marine goes AWOL, burns his life to ash, and vanishes into America’s fractured heart.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
For many, August represents the last opportunity to sneak in a summer vacation before the season all too quickly vanishes.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of vanishes

Verb

Delta Air Lines flies direct between Atlanta and Johannesburg and is expected to launch service between Atlanta and Cape Town later this year.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
Hig flies old Cessna planes into Denver for supplies and makes occasional deliveries to a local Mennonite community led by Aaron (Benedict Wong).

— Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of flies

Verb

As new variants emerge and immunity from prior exposure fades, conditions become more favorable for infection.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Copley agrees with this sentiment, noting that the scent of essential oils fades quicker if a room is too cold, drafty, or large.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of fades

Verb

Sebold’s was the third such attack in Thornden Park, which runs alongside the campus, in about seven months.

— Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026
The center runs workshops on how to build air purifiers, how to measure heat and temperature in homes, and teaches solutions for treating those problems.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of runs

Verb

Then, the unit bolts to the van, becoming a secure load that happens to contain a full living suite.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
When a company bolts AI on without building it into the way the company works, the company can end up paying a great deal of money for a capability its competitors already share.

— Mohamed Khater, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of bolts

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fleeing

flees

fleet

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“Flees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flees. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of flees

verb

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