bolt

1
as in to jump
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers

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2
3
4
as in to exclaim
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling bolted out the cuss word without thinking

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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

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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 The shooter bolted, dropping the gun, the bag and the phone. Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025 Advertisers weren’t threatening to bolt. Lizz Winstead, Time, 27 Sep. 2025 Besides, setting it off while bolted to a fighter jet would have been messy, to say the least. New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2025 Some looked toward the flap of the tent, ready to bolt. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Atlantic, 23 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
  • Ross passed the day's examination with flying colors, barely flinching at the rubber chicken.
    Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Swift recorded the album during her behemoth Eras Tour, flying in and out of Sweden between stops to lay down tracks.
    Liz Schubauer, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson exclaimed when asked about the catch and celebration.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Kimmel exclaimed as the camera returned to him.
    Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 26 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
  • Bundy was initially arrested fleeing a patrol car.
    JR Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Robbie, too, is trying to flee home.
    Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Bolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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