Definition of ELOPE
to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent; to run away from one’s spouse with a lover… See the full definition
elope
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eloped
;
eloping
Definition of
elope
1
a
:
to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent
… Waterman was a peevish child who grew into a defiant teenager,
eloped
at 18 largely to shock his father, and then—far too young—was a father himself.
— Elizabeth Gilbert
b
:
to run away from one’s spouse with a lover
” … when they had been married nearly seven years, and were within a few weeks of the time when the brother’s death would have adjusted all, she
eloped
with a younger man, and left him.”
— Charles Dickens
2
a
:
to slip away
:
escape
… might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow
eloped
from a cornfield.
— Washington Irving
b
:
to leave a health-care or educational facility without permission or authorization
…10 suicidal patients deemed ‘high risk for suicide’
eloped
from the Emergency Department from October 2014 and February 2015.
— Charles S. Clark
Police in Ohio said this week that they gave a nursing home resident a ride and dropped him off at a gas station without ever knowing he was a dementia patient who had
eloped
.
— Kimberly Marselas
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Other Words from
elope
elopement
noun,
plural
elopements
… the young couple at a nearby table sent over some of their dessert, a slice of cake specially ordered to celebrate their
elopement
.
— David Massey
…if the child is afraid of loud noises or crowded environments, a classroom could be intimidating and cause him to be anxious. He might engage in problematic behaviors such as
elopement
(running away), hand flapping, or yelling …
— Erica Kearney
eloper
noun,
plural
elopers
And of course, Las Vegas is no longer just for
elopers
. With all the elegant hotels springing up in Sin City, more couples are choosing to haul the whole wedding party out and do things up right.
— John Winters
Examples of
elope
in a Sentence
The couple
eloped
in the middle of the night.
Recent Examples on the Web
Two men court a woman, but the one Daddy doesn’t approve of tries to
elope
with her.
—
Ed Stockly,
Los Angeles Times
, “Movies on TV this week: ‘My Fair Lady’; ‘Marry Poppins’,” 19 Mar. 2021
Couples forced to
elope
or give up their dreams of weddings for 200 for smaller affairs still have their marriages to experience.
—
Leanne Italie,
Anchorage Daily News
, “Rethinking life’s milestones with the end of the pandemic in sight,” 9 Mar. 2021
Without the approval or support of their families, the lovebirds decide to
elope
.
—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes
, “Univision Premieres ‘La Hija Del Embajador,’ Its Second Turkish Series On Primetime,” 28 Feb. 2021
Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis got engaged in July 2019 and were set to marry in a 150 person wedding in October, but decided to
elope
at City Hall instead, according to NBC Chicago.
—
NBC News
, “Covid live updates: Latest news on vaccine approvals and bipartisan Covid relief bill,” 3 Dec. 2020
Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis got engaged in July 2019 and were set to marry in a 150 person wedding in October, but decided to
elope
at City Hall instead, according to NBC Chicago.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news
, “British government is first to approve Covid-19 vaccine, will roll out shots next week,” 3 Dec. 2020
By the end of Part One, that group includes guitarist Chris Perez (Jesse Posey) with whom Selena would go on to
elope
against her family’s wishes.
—
Washington Post
, “‘Selena: The Series’ might be on the small screen, but it paints a bigger picture of the iconic Tejano singer’s life,” 3 Dec. 2020
Since much of the cost of big-day celebrations is tied to headcount, couples who choose to
elope
cut back significantly on expenses.
—
Lindsay Tigar,
CNN Underscored
, “How to elope beautifully — and safely — right now,” 29 Oct. 2020
In his wedding message to Mike and Michele, a couple preparing to
elope
, Coach Payton stood in for the minister.
—
Doug Maccash | Staff Writer,
NOLA.com
, “Cam Jordan birthday video delights fan, and ‘genius company’ gets a share. (Note: I’m cheaper),” 1 Oct. 2020
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘elope.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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First Known Use of
elope
1593, in the meaning defined at
sense 1b
History and Etymology for
elope
Anglo-French
aloper, esloper
to abduct, run away
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elope
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Dictionary Entries near
elope
Statistics for
elope
Last Updated
2 Apr 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Elope.”
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary
, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elope. Accessed 1 May. 2021.
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elope
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elope
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elope
for Spanish Speakers
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Translation of
elope
for Arabic Speakers
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elope
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elope
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