1
as in jumped
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)
I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in raced
to proceed or move quickly
the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in exclaimed
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling
bolted out the cuss word without thinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in devoured
to swallow or eat greedily
the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fastened
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bolted
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
Foster’s hurried firing on Sunday morning comes after his hurried hiring in February 2024, his placement a band-aid one week after Chip Kelly bolted to be offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
When security is built in rather than bolted on, multitenant systems can rival or even surpass single-tenant ones.
—Khash Kiani, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Many of the plants have bolted or gone to seed or withered in the heat.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Cal Poly bolted 75 yards on nine plays for its first TD, a 12-yard pass from 6-foot-6 Ty Dieffenbach to Michael Briscoe.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
In the second quarter Friday night, Beatty bolted down the middle of the field to catch Altmyer’s pass.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
One of the most loved is Mgarr ix-Xini Valley, whose easy access and varied topography offer bolted and trad routes of all grades.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
The top three receivers all transferred to new schools as Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson went to Georgia Tech and Nazeviah Burris bolted for Arkansas State.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Many car parts are glued together rather than riveted, screwed, or bolted, and the robots and spray guns that apply those bonding agents need to be cleaned.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
Foster’s hurried firing on Sunday morning comes after his hurried hiring in February 2024, his placement a band-aid one week after Chip Kelly bolted to be offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
When security is built in rather than bolted on, multitenant systems can rival or even surpass single-tenant ones.
—Khash Kiani, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Many of the plants have bolted or gone to seed or withered in the heat.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Cal Poly bolted 75 yards on nine plays for its first TD, a 12-yard pass from 6-foot-6 Ty Dieffenbach to Michael Briscoe.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
In the second quarter Friday night, Beatty bolted down the middle of the field to catch Altmyer’s pass.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
One of the most loved is Mgarr ix-Xini Valley, whose easy access and varied topography offer bolted and trad routes of all grades.
—AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025
The top three receivers all transferred to new schools as Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson went to Georgia Tech and Nazeviah Burris bolted for Arkansas State.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolted
Verb
-
Over the same time period, the S&P 500 jumped 20%.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Jungwirth pulled out a gun, jumped over the counter and pointed the gun at the 38-year-old clerk.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bradley McCroskey caught a miraculous 26-yard touchdown pass on the final play of regulation, then Temi Ericson raced nearly untouched for a 25-yard TD in overtime to give the Indians a 34-28 victory.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Bruins never looked back, despite Sweetwyne settling into the game and engineering four scoring drives to keep the Falcons from getting boat-raced.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One deputy retreated while two of them fired their guns, hitting Williams and Lane, authorities said.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Each apartment was different from the next, and the vacant unit (one daughter retreated to a Greek island) had views of the sea.—
Keith Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kate exclaimed, which made the girls laugh.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Consuelos exclaimed as the bird perched on the equipment.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Parvati Shallow has once again devoured her prey.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
-
For weeks, Oasis zealots have devoured online videos of the siblings strolling out onstage together, arms raised in victory and hugs brief yet genuine.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Prosecutors sped through four additional witnesses this afternoon.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
From stopwatches to wearables, tech has elevated individuals' experiences through a plethora of on-demand metrics that provide a more holistic view of progress, and the Covid-19 pandemic sped this growth considerably.—
Hamid Farooqui,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The mufti fled Mandatory Palestine but continued to orchestrate terrorism from his initial base of operations in Beirut.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Jurors at the trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, heard from the Secret Service agent who confronted an armed Routh on the golf course before Routh fled, and a witness who identified Routh to police.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The plane’s window shades remained closed for the entire flight, and a guard at the front of the plane shouted at anyone who spoke.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Michel Iluz, whose son Guy Iluz was killed while captive in Gaza, shouted into the microphone at the Jerusalem protest, the pain in his voice mounting to a howl.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bolted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolted. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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