1
as in hovers
to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings
the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in escapes
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in flees
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
no one in the movies ever thinks to fly from the ax murderer and immediately call the police
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in disappears
to cease to be visible
the morning mist had flown, and a sparkling sea lay before us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in passes
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
the familiar "Because I said so!" is a reason that won't fly with most teenagers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flies
Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Even in the Midwest, Nebraska flies blissfully under the radar of most tourists' radars.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The Chinese flag flies in Tiananmen Square, as seen from the Great Hall of the People, where meetings of the National People's Congress continued in Beijing on March 6, 2025.
—Mike Kuiken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Flavien Prat flies in to ride Brant, who was purchased for $3 million in March by Amr Zedan.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Headquartered in Florida, Spirit Airlines flies to more than 90 destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, the company said on its website.
—Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The super generation from the west side of the country flies to southern California, but the super generation from the east, which passes through Wisconsin, are the butterflies that migrate to Mexico each year.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
At altitudes of 20 to 100 kilometers (12 to 62 miles), the DF-17 flies below the reach of most midcourse missile defence systems, which usually operate above 100 kilometers (62 miles).
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
All six passengers and crew onboard the Family Boat, which flies the Portuguese flag, were reported safe and unharmed.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Even in the Midwest, Nebraska flies blissfully under the radar of most tourists' radars.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The Chinese flag flies in Tiananmen Square, as seen from the Great Hall of the People, where meetings of the National People's Congress continued in Beijing on March 6, 2025.
—Mike Kuiken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Flavien Prat flies in to ride Brant, who was purchased for $3 million in March by Amr Zedan.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Headquartered in Florida, Spirit Airlines flies to more than 90 destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, the company said on its website.
—Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The super generation from the west side of the country flies to southern California, but the super generation from the east, which passes through Wisconsin, are the butterflies that migrate to Mexico each year.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
At altitudes of 20 to 100 kilometers (12 to 62 miles), the DF-17 flies below the reach of most midcourse missile defence systems, which usually operate above 100 kilometers (62 miles).
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
-
Support for universal background checks usually hovers around 90 percent in public opinion polls.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Officially, the prison can hold just over a thousand inmates, though its population often hovers well below that.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Laura escapes her grasp and submerges Cherry, which Daniel witnesses.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Although the shooting causes alarm and triggers police investigations, Serafina initially escapes direct consequences by going into hiding.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The older dog is shown marching along, while the puppy scurries along, attempting to match its pace.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In some versions of the tale, the wolf scurries off to the forest while the three pigs live happily ever after in humble homesteads of their choice.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
By the end of the freshman season, Jackie flees back to New York to clear her head.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Pascal would star as a corrupt cop who flees 1930s Los Angeles for Mexico with his lover, played by Danny Ramirez.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Yet most of this knowledge disappears into corporate databases.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
And in the flood, the specialness disappears.—
Chris Schembra,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So, to observe them, astronomers rely on stellar occultations — moments when an object passes between them and a background star.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The entrance to the car park even passes under a portcullis and guests’ bags go through an X-ray machine hidden in the rock-face.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Inside the West Wing, staff sat in shocked silence, scrolling to see the latest updates of news on their phones and messages on their computer screens.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The index also applies liquidity screens, quarterly rebalances and daily calculations.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Her athletic resume leaves small room for debate on who, besides her, can be crowned the greatest female sprinter of all time.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Sometimes, leaves even turn purple, notes the Chicago Botanic Garden.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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