flee
Base form
flee
/fliː/
Past simple
fled
/fled/
Past participle
fled
/fled/
MeaningC1
to run away from danger
to flee in terror
In use
- After a modal verb · Form 1Thousands of people may have to flee their homes.
- Negative · Form 1Animals don’t always flee when they hear a human.
- Past simple · Form 2Last night the thieves fled when the alarm went off.
- Past simple · Form 2In 1939 her grandparents fled to Britain from Austria.
- Present perfect · Form 3Many families have fled the city because of the fighting.
- Past perfect · Form 3By the time police arrived, the gang had fled.
Watch out
Fled is from flee (run away); flew is from fly: The thief flew from the police → The thief fled from the police. Never fleed or fleeded.
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