bolt

1 to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers Synonyms start, jump, startleRelated Words jerk, jolt, twitch; blench, cringe, flinch, quail, recoil, shrink, spook, squinch, wince; bound, leap, spring; react, respond

2 to proceed or move quickly the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it Synonyms barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, hurry, 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, 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

3 to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching Synonyms run, break, bug out, flee, fly, 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

4 to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling bolted out the cuss word without thinking Synonyms blat, blurt (out), exclaim, cry (out), ejaculateRelated Words blunder, leak; bellow, bleat, crow, holler, hoot, howl, roar, shout, whoop, yowl; aah (also ah), ooh; interject

5 to swallow or eat greedily the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy Synonyms gobble, cram, devour, glut [archaic], gorge, gormandize, gulp, ingurgitate, inhale, raven, scarf, scoff, slop, wolfRelated Words overeat, pig out, swillNear Antonyms nibble, peck, pick