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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bolt
Extreme heat also causes herbs like basil and lettuce to bolt sooner.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2025
My body was telling me to bolt.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Belief spread to the basepaths, where Jake Meyers bolted from second and sprinted for home.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
McNichols, an eight-year NFL veteran entering his second year with Washington, broke away from the line of scrimmage to bolt down field for a career-long 60-yard rush.
—Caden Senn, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bolt
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2025
My body was telling me to bolt.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Belief spread to the basepaths, where Jake Meyers bolted from second and sprinted for home.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
McNichols, an eight-year NFL veteran entering his second year with Washington, broke away from the line of scrimmage to bolt down field for a career-long 60-yard rush.
—Caden Senn, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolt
Verb
-
The stock's best performance in the past 25 years occurred under CEO Alan Mulally, from September 2006 through July 2014, when shares jumped roughly 178%.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The five-year survival rate for a woman diagnosed with breast cancer has jumped up from around 75% in the early 1980s, to over 90% in the past few years.—
Dr. Noor Shaik,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the pair of drivers raced hard, even making contact on the last lap, the incident allowed Elliott to overtake them in no time.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Body camera footage from the incident, shared by police, showed Fayles racing over to the vehicle and using a long rod to break the car’s window.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Also, there is no Santa, but Alexia’s gay Jonny is there to trash-talk Todd once more before flying home to Spain.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The weapon can also fly more than 45 miles to strike mobile targets, reducing the amount of time that aircrews spend in harm’s way.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kimmel exclaimed as the camera returned to him.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Bertinelli exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at Malick.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Simply inhaling for four counts and exhaling for four counts brings oxygen to your muscles, reducing the emotion's intensity and relaxing the body.—
Juli Fraga,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Medicines needing to be inhaled or smoked are prohibited unless in a prescribed inhaler.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sogard sliced a base hit to center and took advantage of Judge’s arm, speeding to second on what should have been a single.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
With more than 100 products, each with domain specific-functionality, Hron sees many more opportunities to plug in agentic AI to speed up work for legal and tax professionals.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At least eight Salvadoran officials who had been investigating MS-13 and corruption, including some who had worked with Vulcan agents, fled the country after threats, harassment, and searches of their homes and offices.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
-
After the shootings, McFarlin fled to Mono County, where sheriff’s deputies arrested him.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Turn to face the shore, tread water, and signal for help by shouting or waving your arms.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Bilge Ebiri shouted out Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, one of his favorites out of Venice.—
Morgan Baila,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share