flew

past tense of fly
1
as in hovered
to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
3
4
5
6
as in passed
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval the familiar "Because I said so!" is a reason that won't fly with most teenagers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flew
Verb
  • The paradigmatic helicopter parent hovered from a distance and in most cases didn’t follow their child to college.
    Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Kansas City's brisk temperatures hovered in the low 50s as the red-and-gold looked to extend its winning record.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Other businesses, including a nearby convention center, restaurant and Ford assembly plant, escaped the blaze.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The mailman paused, checking to see if anyone had noticed or knew the puppy had escaped.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In November 1934, Italy traveled to London to play England, a meeting of the world champion and the team that believed itself the best in the world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • From January through September, more than 18,100 migrants have traveled on boats from Panama to Colombia, according to Panama's National Migration Service.
    Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Kneeland fled on foot, police reported.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Knapton is said to have then fired five more shots as the burglary suspects fled, then went back into his home, reloaded, and went back outside again.
    Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Aims of the science include learning how the oceans and magnetic field of Venus disappeared, and how plate tectonics changed the terrain.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • After Brown disappeared, the owner of the bakery, Alice Lombardi, told CBS News that customers had come into the store and cried.
    Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • With about 90% of ballots counted, California voters passed Proposition 50 by a wide margin, but results from the Sacramento region reflect a community split on the measure.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • However, many legal analysts believe the justices will not overturn the precedent, and some additional legal protections for same-sex married couples were passed into federal law in 2022.
    Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Dressed in an eye-catching ensemble that perfectly highlighted her bold style, Eva glided down the runway, serving face and fierce attitude.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Porter, who was wearing forest-green DaddyGoFish waders, glided into the waist-deep rapids and walked a line between them, periodically dipping small plastic bottles into the water and then depositing them into a mesh bag.
    Katie Thornton, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Garcia again rammed officers’ cars and sped off before fleeing on foot and barricading himself inside his apartment, ICE said.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Crystals that cleanse All three minerals sped up the breakdown under typical environmental conditions, but the rate depended heavily on crystal structure.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Flew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flew. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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