flee
verb /fliː/
/fliː/
[intransitive, transitive, no passive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they flee | /fliː/ /fliː/ |
| he / she / it flees | /fliːz/ /fliːz/ |
| past simple fled | /fled/ /fled/ |
| past participle fled | /fled/ /fled/ |
| -ing form fleeing | /ˈfliːɪŋ/ /ˈfliːɪŋ/ |
- to leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible danger
- She burst into tears and fled.
- flee from somebody/something a camp for refugees fleeing from the war
- flee to…/into… He fled to London after an argument with his family.
- flee something He was caught trying to flee the country.
- The driver had already fled the scene of the accident.
Extra ExamplesTopics Dangerc1- They turned and fled when they saw the gang approaching.
- When the police arrived the burglars fled empty-handed.
- She had to flee for her life when soldiers attacked her town.
- The children fled in terror as the hay caught fire.
- She dropped the phone and fled from the office.
- The family managed to flee to safety.
- They fled to Britain when the war started.
- All my family fled across the border into Thailand.
- He fled into exile and never returned.
- Hundreds of people were forced to flee their homes.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- abroad
- across the border
- into exile
- …
- be forced to
- have to
- try to
- …
- from
- into
- to
- …
- flee empty-handed
- flee for your life
- flee like the wind
- …
Word OriginOld English flēon, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlieden and German fliehen.