1
as in to hover
to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings
the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly
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2
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to flee
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 to disappear
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 to pass
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
the familiar "Because I said so!" is a reason that won't fly with most teenagers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fly
Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025
The mom and son were flown to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
Noel Burgess, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The small true-blue flowers are highly attractive to beneficial insects that provide natural pest control in the garden including parasitoids wasps, flower (hover) flies, ladybeetles, and lacewings.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Overall, seven in 10 Americans feel flying is very or somewhat safe.
—Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025
The mom and son were flown to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
The ranch offered a range of adventures—fly fishing, horseback riding, whitewater rafting—all while guests stayed in charming cabins and enjoyed three delicious meals a day, plus snacks.
—Noel Burgess, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The small true-blue flowers are highly attractive to beneficial insects that provide natural pest control in the garden including parasitoids wasps, flower (hover) flies, ladybeetles, and lacewings.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
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Her chances of winning have hovered around the 80 percent mark since March 17.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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Trillion-dollar deficits are no longer shocking, and interest expense alone is hovering around record levels.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In its ensuing investigation, detectives learned the five dogs were allegedly in the care of Martin Martinez, 60, and had escaped from a nearby property and attacked Renguul, the PCSD reports.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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The most prepared billionaires have multiple passports, physical gold reserves in Swiss vaults, and escape routes that don’t rely on digital transactions.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The incident comes some seven years after an American missionary, John Allen Chau, traveled to the same island with a bible.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
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Yet, as so often happens in the sport, Estrada did not travel a straight line to big-league prosperity.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Khalaf is also writing a TV series entitled The Syrian Doctor about a medic who arrested and tortured in 2012 for treating pro-democracy protestors and then flees to France with his three-year-old daughter.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2025
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The would-be thieves got inside a waiting Lexus sedan and fled the scene, police said.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The case was the first of dozens of pending lawsuits to reach trial in Louisiana against the world’s leading oil companies for their role in accelerating land loss along the state’s rapidly disappearing coast.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Legal experts have said the inadvertent sharing of national defense information with The Atlantic reported added to the group would likely violate the Espionage Act, while the chat’s disappearing message function would also run afoul of public records laws.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Furthermore, corporate earnings could be reduced if companies are unable or unwilling to pass along the full price increase.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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The 11-year-old girl passed the phone to a neighbor, a man with little information about the chaotic scene.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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While early voting and mail-in ballots received before Election Day are processed and posted on election night, vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day, along with provisional ballots, are counted during the official canvass period within 30 days after the election.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2025
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The decline comes as Democrats’ ideological wings fight over the best tactics to counter Trump, which, combined with raw political ambition, makes the emerging Democratic 2028 field a wide-open electoral canvass.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Erect blackberries like 'Navaho' can be planed in traditional rows or grown as a hedge.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
20 Jan. 2025
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Lionsgate has several festivities planed including special events, anniversary screenings, new experiences, and new collectible merchandise, culminating in the release of Ballerina: From the World of John Wick next year on June 6.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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