Word: abscond (verb)

Associations

"Abscond" means to leave quickly and secretly, especially to avoid being caught or to escape from a place or responsibility. It is often used in legal or serious situations, like when someone leaves without permission or runs away to avoid trouble.

• The thief absconded with the stolen money. (Here, someone steals and runs away secretly.)
• The prisoner absconded from jail last night. (A prisoner escaped secretly.)
• The employee absconded after stealing company data. (The worker left secretly after doing something wrong.)

Synonym: "escape"
Difference: "Escape" is more general and can mean getting free from any place or situation, while "abscond" usually means leaving secretly and often with bad intentions or to avoid punishment.

Substitution

Other words or phrases you can use instead of "abscond":

• flee (to run away quickly)
• run away (to leave secretly or suddenly)
• escape (to get free from somewhere)

Using "abscond" often adds the idea of secrecy and avoiding responsibility, which the others might not always have.

Deconstruction

"Abscond" comes from Latin: "ab-" means "away" and "condere" means "to hide." So, it literally means "to hide away" or "to leave secretly." This helps explain why the word is about leaving quickly and secretly.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a story or movie where someone absconds? What happened?
• Have you ever heard about someone absconding from a job or school? What were the reasons?
• How is absconding different from just leaving or quitting? Why does secrecy matter?