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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fly
Hali Smith
april 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Twerpy MBAs force Miranda to fly coach.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The system acts as an agent, building investment screens and producing full research reports, including sophisticated financial modeling and bull and bear cases for a particular stocks, on the fly.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
However, the Air Force is ending the use of those aircraft, and no longer training pilots to fly them.
—Hali Smith
april 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Twerpy MBAs force Miranda to fly coach.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
Facing left-hander Jovani Moran in the fifth, the Blue Jays tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth, on an RBI single by George Springer and sac-fly by Myles Straw.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The system acts as an agent, building investment screens and producing full research reports, including sophisticated financial modeling and bull and bear cases for a particular stocks, on the fly.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
So every draft really did hover around that range of 90 and 100 pages.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In the 1960s, when Mellencamp was coming of age, Jackson County, which includes his hometown Seymour, hovered around thirty-one thousand residents, with about 1 percent of that population composed of Black families.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The irony of the baseball game did not escape me, the two of us sitting next to each other, enjoying America’s pastime together, the way a father and son might do.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Ask Theo Epstein, who once escaped the Henry regime in a gorilla suit, only to return, win a second Series and then bolt for the Chicago Cubs.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The club travels to Portland on Wednesday night for a match against the second-place Thorns, the team that eliminated San Diego from last year’s playoffs.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, be aware that the next six years will bring urges to impulsively travel, and do exciting things to give yourself an adventurous world.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
The core of the mystery centers on at least 10 individuals allegedly connected to key nuclear and aerospace research who have died or disappeared, igniting widespread online speculation about potential sinister activity.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This cannot be another commission that produces a report and disappears.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The City Council passed the item by unanimous vote and without discussion.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Mets will reassess after 10 days have passed.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While these sneakers may look like a modern spin on a classic canvas style — the design holds more than meets the eye.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Both vague and central to the true essence of style, the phrase seems aimed at urging designers to use the body as a blank canvas.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Atapco was planing to give the Aria Homeowner’s Association $100,000 to use at its discretion on infrastructure improvements, such as speed bumps.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 23,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
-
It is built on an aluminum semi-planing hull designed for high-speed operations, exceeding 45 knots.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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