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
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 bolts
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
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
-
Pinkston player Larry Fite (01) jumps to block a shot during a Kimball High School versus Pinkston High School boys basketball playoff game at the Ellis Davis Field House in Dallas, Texas, on Mar 6, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The opera ends with Akhnaten’s son, presumably Tutankhamun, restoring polytheism, and then, once the staging jumps millennia into the future, it’s rediscovered by modern-day tourists.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The officer quickly races into the arena, the more than 21-minute video released by the Pawtucket Police Department shows.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Pretending to be asleep, the girl desperately calls a family member who races to the house and calls 911 while on the road.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But the novel ultimately retreats from these complicating questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But the novel ultimately retreats from these complicating questions.—
Sarah Chihaya,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These belonged to Kim Kardashian, André proudly exclaims.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Rex, the green dinosaur toy exclaims.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This prevents smells, reduces the risk of pests, and speeds up breakdown when burying the peels.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
-
That came as Xi’s purge of China’s military widened — including the removal of nine military officers from the congress last week — as China speeds up its goals of modernizing its army in the coming few years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Eco effort Few & Far Luvhondo operates on solar power and is 100% zero waste, in part thanks to an army of black soldier flies that turn food scraps into fertilizer.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
But researchers found in 2022 that brine flies, which form the base of the lake’s food web, and brine shrimp, a multimillion, global fish food business in Utah, had begun to disappear.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Koy shouts, his excitement echoing in the stadium.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Mars in your expressive 5th house shouts to reactive Uranus in your 8th House of Inheritances.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But May also routinely devours Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and jazz albums from Miles Davis.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
-
But in Washington, politics devours everything, even the sacred.—
Tara Palmeri,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolts. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
