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Definition of skedaddle

skedaddle

/skɪˈdæd.əl/
ske · dad · dle
Plural:skedaddles
•
Past Simple:skedaddled
•
Past Participle:skedaddled
•
Present Participle:skedaddling
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skedaddle Lexical Profile

skedaddle Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To depart quickly or hurriedly; to run away (informal).

Example

"We had better skedaddle before the heavy traffic starts building up on the highway."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for skedaddle
Antonyms
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• noun

1

A hasty departure, flight, or retreat (informal).

Example

"The sudden downpour caused a general skedaddle toward the nearest shelter."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for skedaddle

• Rhymes for skedaddle

• Nearby Words

skater
skating
sked
skedaddle
skeeball
skeena
skeet

Word Origin & Etymology

Popularized as American military slang during the American Civil War (circa 1861) to describe soldiers fleeing the battlefield, likely derived from northern British and Scottish dialect 'skedaddle', meaning to spill or scatter.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Skedaddle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/skedaddle
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