1
2
as in races
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 retreats
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 exclaims
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling
bolted out the cuss word without thinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in inhales
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bolts
When spinach bolts, the plant focuses its energy on producing flowers and seeds rather than leaves.
—
Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
If Leonard bolts, the Clippers will look to rebuild around young point guard Darius Garland, who came to the team in the Harden trade.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
With that in mind, here are a few free agent options who could fit the Yankees if Bellinger bolts.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
The canine then bolts across the field and is immediately chased by one horse, with about five more joining in moments later.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
Parsley is a biennial that quickly bolts and dies the second year, and since second-year parsley is bitter, it’s typically grown as an annual.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
If Leonard bolts, the Clippers will look to rebuild around young point guard Darius Garland, who came to the team in the Harden trade.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
With that in mind, here are a few free agent options who could fit the Yankees if Bellinger bolts.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
The canine then bolts across the field and is immediately chased by one horse, with about five more joining in moments later.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
Parsley is a biennial that quickly bolts and dies the second year, and since second-year parsley is bitter, it’s typically grown as an annual.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolts
Verb
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Just as Stiller is about to finish his thought, a media member jumps into the interview with their phone out and asks Stiller for a shoutout to Puerto Rico.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
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The show consisted of several competition-style events including races, jumps, doughnuts, high-flyers motocross 70-foot jumps and some serious car smashing.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Its most recent 54th run was record-breaking, the biggest marathon in history, with 132 countries represented, 59,226 finishers and by far the highest number of spectators in every neighborhood who supported and cheered runners on a route that races through all five boroughs.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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What Wolff came back with was the idea to take F1 Academy from a standalone series to one that races alongside F1.—
Danielle McNally,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Tortorello said O’Mara would say Mass in the morning with the sisters, the students and staff, and also presided over the large, all-school masses and the Kairos retreats.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2026
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Her 50-something protagonist, Alan Anderson, and his socially striving wife Vivian, are at least about to start thinking about where their family is going to go, once Alan retreats to a backyard playhouse.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Lopez exclaims before jumping in place excitedly and pulling Abdalla into a hug.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
-
Zao exclaims on its Yelp page for the restaurant at The Village.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The chemical is particularly tough on the human respiratory system and, depending on how much a person inhales, MMA can cause everything from sore throats and cough to dizziness, nausea and, at the highest levels, damage to the nervous system, Kleinman said.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Ramsay speeds through many of the action shots to instead focus on Joe’s psyche.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
-
Adrenaline speeds up peristalsis, the contractions and constrictions of the intestines, while blood is diverted from the digestive system, which can cause nausea.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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American officials are working to expand the use of sterile male screwworm flies to stop the parasites’ spread.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Time flies, but super exciting.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Patchett shouts out fellow authors in the novel, including George Saunders, Paul Murray and Kiran Desai.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
-
As promised, Ali shoots him, and as everyone panics and hits the floor, Ali shouts that Alamo Brown needs to come out.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolts. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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