Meaning & use

elope

verb·Academic

To leave home secretly in order to get married, usually without a formal ceremony or family approval.

See it in a sentence

The couple decided to elope to Las Vegas rather than plan a big wedding.

Her parents were furious when they learned she had eloped with a man they'd never met.

A note on using this word

Elope traditionally implied secrecy or defiance of parental wishes, though today it more often just means marrying quietly and privately.

Words with a similar meaning

run away and marry

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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