1
2
as in to race
to proceed or move quickly
the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fly
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to inhale
to swallow or eat greedily
the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bolt
The foundations were welded and bolted to the strengthened deck, and the rotors themselves, fabricated with inner steel cores and composite shells, were then lifted by crane.
—
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Some hatchlings bolted straight for the surf, while a few needed a gentle nudge from the marine team.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2026
The cat lunged, grabbed Bender’s arm, and just as quickly, the hunter shook it off, and the animal bolted.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Who the Aggies lost/gained through transfer portal UCD lost some firepower through the portal with Pinnick heading to Washington State and 2025 leading rusher Carter Vargas bolting for the Bay Area to play for Cal.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bolt
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Some hatchlings bolted straight for the surf, while a few needed a gentle nudge from the marine team.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2026
The cat lunged, grabbed Bender’s arm, and just as quickly, the hunter shook it off, and the animal bolted.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Who the Aggies lost/gained through transfer portal UCD lost some firepower through the portal with Pinnick heading to Washington State and 2025 leading rusher Carter Vargas bolting for the Bay Area to play for Cal.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolt
Verb
-
Orlando’s defense caused problems early for Detroit when the Magic forced seven turnovers in the opening four minutes and jumped out to a 19-7 lead.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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The strategy also is open to criticism, especially after the Steelers spent most of Day 3 adding special-teams players — why not trade some of that Day 3 draft capital to jump up and secure Lemon like the Eagles did (Philly traded two fourth-rounders to move up three spots)?—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Beyond that, two of the highlights of the horse racing calendar take place at Churchill Downs on Friday and Saturday, while the Formula One season resumes after a long hiatus with the Miami Grand Prix.—
The Athletic Live Team,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Police said the suspect had a shotgun, a handgun and knives, and stormed the lobby, running past security barricades as Secret Service agents raced toward him.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By the final showdown, the production has made use of every bit of stage space, with sensational flying sequences (choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) that allow the vampires to float, hover, and—in one especially intense moment—dive from that bridge.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Worst of all, like Zoolander 2 did before it, the film badly miscalculates the value of showbiz and industry cameos, which reach critical mass when the team members fly to Milan and, weirdly, only one of the latter (Donatella Versace, having an awkward lunch with Emily) seems to work.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Douglas exclaimed after shrieking for a moment.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Zao exclaims on its Yelp page for the restaurant at The Village.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The vehicle lowers slightly and seems to inhale the pavement.—
Chris Jackson,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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For breathwork, Yasinksi recommends inhaling for four seconds, pausing for four seconds at the top, and then exhaling slowly.—
Lesly Gregory,
AJC.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Peafowl can also disturb landscaping and startle people with their piercing screams.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Performance turnarounds of this nature take time, and there are no tangible shortcuts that can speed up the process.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Forty-seven people died and more than 100 were injured when a speeding Burlington passenger train headed for California slammed into a train bound for Omaha, which had stopped at the Naperville station.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The suspect fled from the hospital after the shooting and was later taken into custody, where a weapon was recovered, the Police Department said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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In May 2020, sheriff’s deputy Aaron Russell, who was assigned to the Central Jail, shot and killed 36-year-old Nicholas Bils as Bils fled, unarmed, after slipping out of handcuffs just outside the facility.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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