fly

1 to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings <the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly> Synonyms aviate, glide, plane, soar, wing Related Words drift, float, hang, hover, waft; coast, cruise, sail, sweep; dart, flit, flutter; catapult, helicopter, jet, orbit, rocket; dive, stoop

2 to get free from a dangerous or confining situation <you must fly to safety immediately> Synonyms abscond, break out (of), clear out, flee, escape, get out, lam, run away, run offRelated Words avoid, elude, evade, lose, shun; decamp, depart, elope, exit, go, leave, move, pull out, quit, sally (forth), shove (off), take off, walk out; disentangle, extricate; bring off, emancipate, enfranchise, free, liberate, loose, loosen, manumit, redeem, release, rescue, spring, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetterNear Antonyms abide, dwell, hang around, linger, remain, stay, stick around, tarry; come back, return

3 to proceed or move quickly <flew down the concourse to catch his flight> Synonyms barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb [slang], bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, hurry, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoomRelated Words beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle; stampede, streak, whiz (or whizz); gallop, jog, sprint; accelerate, quicken, step out; catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake; arrow, beelineNear Antonyms dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)Antonyms crawl, creep, poke

4 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 bolt, break, bug out, flee, run, hightail (it), retreat, run away, run off, skedaddleRelated Words abscond, clear out, decamp, elope, escape, get (away), get out, lam, light out, make off, mizzle [chiefly British], scarper [British], scat, scram, skip (out), skirrNear Antonyms beard, brave, confront, dare, defy, face; abide, dwell, hang around, linger, remain, stay, stick around, tarry

5 to cease to be visible <the morning mist had flown, and a sparkling sea lay before us> Synonyms dematerialize, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, fade, flee, disappear, go (away), melt, sink, vanishRelated Words blank (out), clear, die (away or down or out), disperse, dissipate, dissolve, dry up; blur, dimNear Antonyms arrive, break out, come out, emerge, issue, loom, show upAntonyms appear, materialize

6 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 wash, hold up, pass, stand upRelated Words get through, go down, go over, go through, play, take, work