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
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
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And as the federal government jumps into the fray, looking not only for the particles but also the potential effects on human health, the risk to the multibillion-dollar chemical and fossil fuel companies that manufacture and distribute these products grows.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
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Engineers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, also known as KAIST, built a humanoid that runs, jumps and even moonwalks with smooth control.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When Robby races into the room, our drunk country clubber is being restrained, and his nose is bleeding.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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Theron races through the forest and rafts through the rapids while Egerton follows her into caves and down the side of a cliff.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The unconscious Moon retreats through your 12th House of Peace, trining take-charge Saturn in your 4th House of Care along the way.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Apr. 2026
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By Saturday night, geomagnetic activity weakens and retreats north, making aurora visibility in Iowa unlikely or very limited.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Denard exclaims, using an emerging slur against robots and AI.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
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Radcliffe exclaims in his London accent, walking hurriedly towards Liu and hugging her.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While some commenters on @schube93’s video pointed out that Costco's competitor, Sam’s Club, already offers a scan-and-go feature in its smartphone app that speeds up the checkout process, others applauded the move.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2026
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The group speeds up their walking to keep time with her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In recent days, video footage of Father Najib Amil, a Maronite Catholic priest in the mostly Christian village of Rmeich, Lebanon — about a mile, as the crow flies, from the Israeli border — has gone viral on social media.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2026
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In Absolute Wonder Woman, drawn by Hayden, who is also part of this artistic new wave, Diana Prince is raised in Hades by the sorceress Circe to be a witch, not on Paradise Island by caring Amazonians, and flies on a skeleton horse.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Molina-Mulcahy additionally shouts out color as a major sunglasses trend for 2026.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
26 Mar. 2026
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Patientce Foster, her long-time creative director, shouts in approval.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Allure,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From her experience, the grasshopper drawing attention in Arizona devours everything in its path, whereas the chapulín is tied to greener environments and specific crops, such as cornfields, alfalfa, and squash leaves.—
Nadia Cantú,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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But May also routinely devours Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and jazz albums from Miles Davis.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolts. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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