1
as in jumping
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)
I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in racing
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 retreating
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 exclaiming
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling
bolted out the cuss word without thinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in inhaling
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 rushing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bolting
Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Cool-season planting keeps parsley from bolting, or going to seed quickly.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
While this is a bane to many gardeners (bolting often renders plants bitter, woody, and inedible), in this strife also lies opportunity for those gardeners aiming toward environmental stewardship.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2025
This does not mean bolting on new features to your existing products, nor hiring an AI person here or there.
—Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
As reports from the Ukraine war show, taking a drone and bolting a Claymore mine to it isn't new.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Toronto’s fielding fails them Addison Barger stared at the sky, bolting to his right as Austin Wells’ fly ball fell.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Cool-season planting keeps parsley from bolting, or going to seed quickly.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
While this is a bane to many gardeners (bolting often renders plants bitter, woody, and inedible), in this strife also lies opportunity for those gardeners aiming toward environmental stewardship.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2025
This does not mean bolting on new features to your existing products, nor hiring an AI person here or there.
—Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
As reports from the Ukraine war show, taking a drone and bolting a Claymore mine to it isn't new.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolting
Verb
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But in overtime, Beck threw his second interception of the game — with Mustangs safety Ahmaad Moses jumping a route on a pass intended for Malachi Toney — and then SMU scored a touchdown six plays later for the win.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
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Paramount is definitely clearing its deck, along with plenty of sailors jumping — and being pushed — over the side.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the idea that Earhart ended up an island castaway is far from widely accepted, and another team of researchers is racing to close in on proof of an alternate explanation.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The footage shows the suspect racing along the 210 Freeway in San Bernardino County at speeds topping 150 mph.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Precious metals and related mining stocks are retreating after a parabolic upmove over the past two months.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
-
In the example below from their 2-1 win over Girona, Barcelona man-mark the opposition midfielders but Fermin Lopez’s passive positioning allows a pass into retreating centre-forward Portu.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia — fear of long words (The longest word found in major English dictionaries is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, a 45-letter word describing a lung disease caused by inhaling fine silica dust.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Essential oils can be used in various ways, such as inhaling them through a diffuser or applying a diluted solution to the skin.—
Emily Brown,
Verywell Health,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the footage, the children could be seen hurrying off the bus and onto the woman’s porch as the smoke grew.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Pedestrians are hurrying past to find their places on Fifth Avenue, but the girls have a different kind of readiness about them.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Officials said Booth allegedly stopped chasing the uncle, dropped the screwdriver and stripped off her clothes before fleeing from responding police.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The characters from Malczewski’s canvases march through successive decades, fighting and fleeing various yokes.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Then, a man stood up and started shouting at Harris.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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His clips are pretty rudimentary tributes to guys like Thomas Sankara, the former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, shouting them out with highlight reels and songs by 100 gecs and Jersey club collective TwerkNation28.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This is the painstaking process of counting and measuring every stud, sheet of drywall, window, and baseboard from 2D plans, quietly devouring time and budgets.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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Outdoor spiders are hard at work, devouring home and garden pests such as ants, flies, mosquitoes, aphids, and thrips.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bolting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolting. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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