bug out

verb

bugged out; bugging out; bugs out

intransitive verb

1
: to retreat during a military action
especially : to flee in panic
2
: to depart especially in a hurry
bugout noun

Examples of bug out in a Sentence

the ground soldiers bugged out just before the start of the aerial bombing the strange visitor bugged out without so much as saying a word
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Elsewhere in the stream, Kodak attempts to have a normal conversation with the Twitch streamer before totally bugging out, protruding his eyes with a face full of sweat. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024 My eyes bugged out of my head like a cartoon character. R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2024 The mesh is extremely tightly woven and incredibly effective at keeping bugs out. Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 8 Aug. 2024 The developers cleverly translate those problems into the screen shaking and the user interface bugging out. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 29 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bug out 

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bug out was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near bug out

Cite this Entry

“Bug out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bug%20out. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on bug out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!