fleeflee /fliː/ ●●○ verb (past tense and past participle fled /fled/) [intransitive, transitive] written 
His attackers turned and fled. Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country.flee to/from/into Many German artists fled to America at the beginning of World War II.► see thesaurus at escape
WORD ORIGINflee
Origin:
Old English fleanVERB TABLE
flee
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | flee |
| he, she, it | flees | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | fled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have fled |
| he, she, it | has fled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had fled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will flee |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have fled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am fleeing |
| he, she, it | is fleeing | |
| you, we, they | are fleeing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was fleeing |
| you, we, they | were fleeing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been fleeing |
| he, she, it | has been fleeing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been fleeing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be fleeing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been fleeing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Most of the women there were Somalis fleeing from the civil war.
- Rollins tried to flee the country but was stopped at the airport.
- Up to five million political refugees have fled to other countries.
- When police arrived, the two men fled.
- When they saw the police car, his attackers turned and fled.
- Episcopal persecution, however, drove them to flee to the relative anonymity of London at the end of the 1620s.
- He gathered what money he had just in case Gallagher was forced to flee.
- The temblor sent thousands of office workers in Seattle fleeing into the streets.
THESAURUS
to leave a place when someone is trying to catch you or stop you, or when there is a dangerous situation: · The thief escaped through an upstairs window.· She managed to escape from her attacker and call the police.
to escape from someone who is chasing you, especially when there is no chance that you will be caught. Get away is more informal than escape: · The robbers got away but left plenty of clues at the scene.· Don’t let him get away!
to escape from someone who is holding you: · She broke free and started running.
written to leave somewhere very quickly in order to escape from danger: · Many people were forced to flee the country.· The two men fled before police arrived.
to escape from a building or room: · I was locked in the room and couldn’t get out.
to escape from prison: · The jail is so secure that no one has ever broken out of it.
formal to escape from a prison or institution where you are supposed to stay: · Three prisoners who absconded have still not been found.· He absconded from a psychiatric hospital.
Longman Language Activatorto escape from somewhere where you are in danger to get away from a place, country etc where you are in danger, especially when it is difficult to do this because someone is trying to catch you or stop you leaving: · Only four people managed to escape before the roof collapsed.· The refugees have crossed miles of desert to escape civil war and famine.escape from: · Josie managed to escape from her attacker and call the police.escape into/through/over etc: · Some people were able to escape over the border into Tanzania.· When the army began killing civilians in the town, he was able to escape through the jungle.
to escape from a place or country when there is a serious risk that something bad will happen very soon: · Eventually we realized there was no way of getting out.· A few people managed to get out before the government crackdown.get out of: · All US tourists and journalists are being advised to get out of the country as soon as possible.get out alive: · The whole building was on fire - we were lucky to get out alive!
to try to escape from someone by running away: · Don't run away - I'm not going to hurt you.· Delia managed to get away from the man and ran off screaming.run away/run off from: · If you run away from the bull, it's almost certain to attack you.run away/run off into/down/across etc: · He jumped out of the car and ran off into the woods.
to suddenly run away very quickly, as soon as you have a chance, especially because you are very frightened: · One of the horses got into a panic and bolted.· When police approached him to ask him some questions, he bolted.bolt across/into/out etc: · Before I could say a word, she turned and bolted out the front door.
informal to suddenly run away very quickly because you are in danger of being caught, especially when you are doing something illegal: · Somebody's coming. Quick, run for it.· There's no way we can beat them - we're going to have to make a run for it.
to escape as quickly as possible because you are in great danger - used especially in newspapers: · When police arrived, the two men fled.flee from/to/into etc: · Most of the women there were Somalis fleeing from the civil war.· Up to five million political refugees have fled to other countries.flee the country/the city etc: · Rollins tried to flee the country but was stopped at the airport.
to escape from a place or a dangerous situation, especially when you do this quickly and secretly, as soon as you have a chance: · He made his escape by climbing through the window and down the fire escape.· The hostages spent days waiting for the opportunity to make their escape.
to escape by running away very quickly - used especially in stories: · The kids immediately took to their heels as Mrs Brewster appeared around the corner.· He jumped off the train, took to his heels, and was quickly out of sight.
to escape from someone who is holding you: · She wanted to break away, but his grip was too strong.· With a violent twist he broke free and ran out of the room.break free/break away from: · Then Tammy broke free from Judd and ran for the door screaming.
to escape from an aircraft that is going to crash: · The pilot bailed out of the aircraft just in time and was only slightly injured.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
to leave somewhere very quickly, in order to escape from danger: Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country.· Over 100,000 civilians fled across the border.
(=leave it very quickly to avoid trouble)· At the outbreak of the war, many people fled the country.
· Hundreds of people fled into exile or were jailed.
· The children fled in terror as the barn caught fire.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· He decided that he had no alternative but to flee abroad.· More than a million fled abroad, often at their peril.· Some of his companions died with him, a few fled abroad, but most took refuge in Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire.· Over 140,000 refugees had fled abroad.· John and other members of the family fled abroad, some to Virginia, others to the Continent.· His military adviser, Kleandridas, fled abroad, and was condemned to death in his absence.· Achym fled abroad to avoid the consequences of his crime.· Harry Dubar, who resigned and fled abroad in late June.
· He made such noisy protestations that his nervous owner fled back into the waiting-room.· I fled back to the privacy of my own room to retch and vomit.· The two white men fled back to the settlements.· Izanagi fled back to the earth's surface, pursued by an army of thunder gods and headless warriors.· Dara fled back to Agra and set off on the road to Delhi without daring to face his father.· We fled back down the streets holding hands.· The Xingu man fled back to the forest, unable to believe that anyone could wish to live in such a place.· Unsuitably dressed and squealing in the nippy air, the girls ran round like chickens before fleeing back to the cars.
NOUN· Many flee rural areas for the relative safety of the cities, particularly Bogota.· Hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have fled the area.· Major employers like General Motors, Goodyear, and Firestone had fled the area.· More than 80,000 people fled the area around Taloqan as the fighting grew closer.· For decades, sports teams tried to solve their financial problems by fleeing urban areas for squeaky-clean suburbs.· The town contains about 70,000 people of whom 30,000 have fled from other areas.· As many as 10,000 civilians were reported to have fled the area.
· It reveals how thousands of Shias have fled across the border to escape.· The raids caused 26,000 refugees to flee across the border to the neighboring region of Ingushetia.· Countless unarmed civilians fleeing to the borders were killed by helicopter gunships.
· He has since fled to another city.· An army officer tells Suyuan to flee the city.· At night, lit from within, she looked like a stricken ghost, fleeing the city of glittering towers.· The top spot goes to the candidate whose petitions are fled first with the city clerk.· Some 100,000 civilians had fled the city.· Many wounded persons were treated and hidden by their families, while still other wounded men fled the city.· They were victorious; the conquered Thebans fled and their city was leveled to the ground.
· By the end of 1995 foreign money was pouring back into most of the countries it had hastily fled.
· If the nest is disturbed and she decides the family should flee, the youngsters behave in an extremely disciplined way.· The family fled to Hong Kong just after the War, when the Communists were coming to power.· Since Christmas, 10 families have fled the town fearing they will be the next targets.· Maybe the family fled after the flood, or maybe they had all been drowned.· John and other members of the family fled abroad, some to Virginia, others to the Continent.
· To flee; to flee through fear.· Failure indicates that the Ogre has fled in fear of its life.· The original case was brought by three men who said they fled Pak istan in fear for their lives or from persecution.
· It had been his only possession when he had fled his home as it burned.· Residents stood shivering in the chilly night air as Red Cross officials scrambled to find them lodging after they fled their homes.· The dynamic of the tale is simple: a man flees his home and lives in exile by the sea.· Teachers, nurses and farmers have fled their rural homes hoping to find safety in the cities.
· Miriam, unable to endure this harrowing sight a moment longer, had fled from the tiger house.
· The dynamic of the tale is simple: a man flees his home and lives in exile by the sea.· The men fled in a car and could be armed with assault rifles, said Capt.· The two white men fled back to the settlements.· About 50 people were wounded and 50 of Jess's men had to flee.· Witnesses reported seeing a couple of men fleeing the scene.· Young men have fled to town for work.· Many wounded persons were treated and hidden by their families, while still other wounded men fled the city.
· Why he and others wished to flee was obvious to the world.· One night, inevitably, one of the sick died, and the next morning, the others fled.· An ex-girlfriend has borrowed a gun. Others have fled town.
· There he campaigned in favour of the increasing numbers of people fleeing the Pyongyang regime.· When people flee, they deprive the organization of their expertise and experience, while at the same time undermining its reputation.· Executions resumed, and hundreds of people fled into exile or were jailed.· There was no place to buy food, find water, and the roads were clogged with people also fleeing town.· At least 60, 000 people who fled levee breaks on the Feather River remained shut out of their homes.· Police had raided nearby Jagannath Hall in Dhaka University and people were fleeing the campus.· Fleeing the Organization Less overtly heroic than those who fight the dysfunctional organization are the people who choose to flee from it.
· Both groups fled before police arrived.· They put the baby on a bed before fleeing, police said.
· The ferry was packed with refugees fleeing sectarian violence in the Moluccas.· You see refugees fleeing war zones with less baggage.· Of the more than 1,000 refugees who fled last week, not one is known to have helped identify the guerrillas.· At the time, refugees fled in every direction.· In the ensuing riot, a hut containing refugees seeking to flee the violence, mainly northerners, was set on fire.· The raids caused 26,000 refugees to flee across the border to the neighboring region of Ingushetia.· Over 140,000 refugees had fled abroad.
· The respectable residents have long since fled to the suburbs to escape the inner city pathologies.
· Her eyes blazed at him as she fled to her room.· They sometimes even keep talking after their audience has fled the room.· I forced a smile and then turned and fled to my room.· Perdita cried unashamedly after they left, fleeing to her bare room and hurling herself down on the pink counterpane.· Even the cat hid from him, fleeing from room to room as he passed through the house.
· The young gunman was on a truck fleeing the scene of a shoot-out with marines in Mogadishu.· Prosecutors contend that McVeigh used the Mercury as a getaway car to flee the scene of the bombing five days later.· Most urban visitors will flee the scene and never return.· Bluechel, unharmed, fled the scene, a bullet knocking off his cap as he ran.· Witnesses reported seeing a couple of men fleeing the scene.· Gang leaders fled the scene, and all traces of rancour and suspicion vanished with them.· He fled the scene on foot, but turned up several hours later at Summit Medical Center.
· Its people flee in terror on tractors, horse-drawn carts, cars or on foot.· Instead, we imprisoned thousands of skilled people, and thousands more fled in terror.· There was a whisper amongst the servants that she had fled from Andrew in terror on the night of her return.· They fled in terror back across the frontier.· A violent and sudden earthquake is said to have toppled a nearby hill, causing the torturers to flee in terror.· After entering the cave, Hawk senses such awesome power that he flees in terror.· But the government, in pursuit of high-minded ideals, has created a bureaucratic monster before which small business-people flee in terror.
· It reveals how thousands of Shias have fled across the border to escape.· Instead, we imprisoned thousands of skilled people, and thousands more fled in terror.· Hundreds of thousands of civilians fled.· Tens of thousands fled into exile.· Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the Moluccas and tens of thousands are sheltering in camps in the region.
· They fled the civil war there a year ago.· You see refugees fleeing war zones with less baggage.· They had fled away to war, to that dream of a ghostly battle elsewhere.
VERB· Should its enemies be destroyed or forced to flee the Squig is free to start bouncing again.· Thousands of Nuba were forced to flee as government soldiers scaled the mountains, destroying almost 2,500 homes and burning food stores.· At the beginning, the Sioux forced him to flee Chequamegon Bay.· He gathered what money he had just in case Gallagher was forced to flee.· He was overthrown in a coup in 1991 and forced to flee the country, but that only fed his popularity.· He said that up to 1,000 guerrillas were trying to rout or encircle government posts to force defenders to flee.· Families forced to flee during the conflict have yet to return.
· They were reported to have fled the camps and were said to be attempting to return to their homes.· He is reported to flee from class when the door is opened.· Sigua was reported to have fled to the rebel headquarters in a Komsomol summer camp outside Tbilisi to avoid arrest.· The signalman and stationmaster from Gaisal are reported to have fled immediately after the accident.· Hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have fled the area.· As many as 10,000 civilians were reported to have fled the area.
· Others flared like candles as they tried to flee.· Of course, the boy was frightened and tried to flee, but the sorcerer grabbed him and hit him.· The king had tried to flee the country in June 1791, and had been ignominiously brought back under guard.· Police feared that du Pont might try to flee through a series of tunnels beneath the house.· It will be picked off when fear makes it try to flee.· The driver was arrested after he crashed into a parked vehicle and tried to flee on foot.· Finally it lost a wheel on a roundabout and passers-by grabbed the two as they tried to flee.· Neighbors say Flor was shot first, and Smith tried to flee.
· Her first impulse was to turn and flee.· As the pair drew near he turned and fled.· I turned, about to flee, about to deny my name, about toThe man looked familiar.· But as he turned to flee, Derek slumped at the wheel, clutching his chest.· The Federals halted, turned, and fled, our friends crossing the railroad and pursuing them.· She stifled a desire to turn and flee, wondering what was wrong with her.· If charged by a powerful enemy they can turn and flee away, hopefully regrouping for a later return.
His attackers turned and fled. Masaari spent six months in prison before fleeing the country.flee to/from/into Many German artists fled to America at the beginning of World War II.► see thesaurus at escape