fly

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verb

Definition of 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, fly, get out, lam, run away, run off

Related 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, unfetter

Near 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, fly, 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, zoom

Related 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, beeline

Near 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, fly, hightail (it), retreat, run away, run off, skedaddle

Related 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), skirr

Near 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, fly, go (away), melt, sink, vanish

Related Words blank (out), clear, die (away or down or out), disperse, dissipate, dissolve, dry up; blur, dim

Near Antonyms arrive, break out, come out, emerge, issue, loom, show up

Antonyms 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 fly, hold up, pass, stand up

Related Words get through, go down, go over, go through, play, take, work