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
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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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fly
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 July 2025
Raising hundreds of millions of flies In one sense, raising a large colony of flies is relatively easy, said Cassandra Olds, an assistant professor of entomology at Kansas State University.
—CBS News, 2 July 2025
Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
Those who could not get inside, live in mobile homes or were in a car were advised to move to the nearest substantial shelter to protect themselves from flying debris.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Keep insects, flies, and maggots from infesting his body.
Clean and inspect their premises for insect infestation.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 July 2025
Raising hundreds of millions of flies In one sense, raising a large colony of flies is relatively easy, said Cassandra Olds, an assistant professor of entomology at Kansas State University.
—CBS News, 2 July 2025
Noun
American Airlines flies directly from Miami to Beef Island.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
Those who could not get inside, live in mobile homes or were in a car were advised to move to the nearest substantial shelter to protect themselves from flying debris.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
Gas prices are hovering near their lowest summer level in four years as millions of people ready themselves to hit the roads over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
3 July 2025
-
Temperatures are expected to hover around the freezing point or below until Friday when it's expected to reach 41 degrees.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Jeremiah Estrada promptly struck out Eugenio Suarez to escape that jam, and Adrián Morejón left the bases loaded the next inning with a strikeout of Marte.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
When Huang was nine-years-old, his parents sent him and his older brother to the U.S. to escape widespread social unrest in Thailand.—
Matt Durot,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
In the meantime, Austin reported its first case of measles, an infant who had traveled out of the country and was quarantined, on Feb. 28.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
10 July 2025
-
Among those who have travelled are Max Purvis, Callum Edwards and Alex Moore, who won our academy player of the year award.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
In July 1987, flooding on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County forced hundreds of people to flee the area.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
In June, the U.N. said, more than 147,000 people fled their homes in the central region, once a bastion of safety for those trying to escape the horrors of the capital.—
Jacqueline Charles
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The child disappeared in June of that year but wasn’t reported missing until July when Caylee’s grandmother learned that Anthony hadn’t seen her daughter in a month.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
-
Julie had disappeared from the stage and left a single high heel.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The four-mile trail passes through groves of Great Basin bristlecone pines, with trunks weathered by centuries of snow and sun.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
-
The good news: Robinson is passing along her antique collection, storefront and mission.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Mamdani’s 14-mile walk this week of Manhattan, in scorching heat, evoked the neighborhood canvasses of John Lindsay, the liberal crusader whose budget priorities contributed to the city’s 1970s fiscal crisis.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
24 June 2025
-
But many felt that Roach was deserving of the victory after Davis, nicknamed Tank, opted to put his knee to the canvass in the ninth round.—
George Ramsay,
CNN,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Our ruling The Republican Party of Juneau County claimed on Facebook that planes full of unvetted refugees were being accepted to the Milwaukee and Madison airports.—
Sophie Carson,
Journal Sentinel,
3 July 2024
-
All this culminates in a debut album, Addison, that planes down contemporary pop influences into an ooze of familiarity, faintly evoking innovations in underground and alternative music without stepping out of its playlist-friendly lane.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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