eloped; eloping
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
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
Charles Dickens2
a
: to slip away : escape
… might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield.—Washington Irving
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
Charles S. ClarkPolice 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
Kimberly Marselas
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
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
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
John Winters
Examples of elope in a Sentence
The couple eloped in the middle of the night.
Recent Examples on the Web
The former couple eloped back in 2017 before having a wedding in 2019, which was previously documented on the TLC show.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 22 June 2024
The 29-year-old Bongiovi and Light eloped and were married in the same Las Vegas chapel where his father married his longtime wife, Dorothea, in 1989.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 24 May 2024
The duo, who eloped in Las Vegas in July 2022, have also been living separately, with the singer residing in the couple’s Beverly Hills marital home while Affleck stays in a rental a few miles away.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
In 2005, the country singer-songwriter eloped with his childhood sweetheart, Cassidy Bentley.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for elope 
Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 22 June 2024
The 29-year-old Bongiovi and Light eloped and were married in the same Las Vegas chapel where his father married his longtime wife, Dorothea, in 1989.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 24 May 2024
The duo, who eloped in Las Vegas in July 2022, have also been living separately, with the singer residing in the couple’s Beverly Hills marital home while Affleck stays in a rental a few miles away.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
In 2005, the country singer-songwriter eloped with his childhood sweetheart, Cassidy Bentley.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for elope
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Elope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elope. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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