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
Relevance
2
as in escaped
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traveled
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fled
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
no one in the movies ever thinks to fly from the ax murderer and immediately call the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in disappeared
to cease to be visible
the morning mist had flown, and a sparkling sea lay before us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
-
About half of the oil from Deepwater Horizon accumulated in a soupy plume that hovered at a depth of around eleven hundred metres.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026 -
The temperature hovered in the 30s.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In one instance, a detainee escaped when there was no staff assigned to watch the perimeter fences.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Vivian smooths any potential strands that may have escaped from her low bun and then brushes up the steep stone steps to the front door.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many evangelicals of Hatmaker’s generation have travelled the same path of pointed questioning—not just about specific verses or churches but about their whole cultural milieu.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The viaducts that constitute the freeway, one of the most traveled in the Bay Area, are 71 years old and carry thousands of vehicles daily.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The man struck Stallworth and started fighting with him, gaining control of the gun, tried to return fire and fled the scene, the affidavit states.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Accused of political incompetence, Bani Sadr was impeached by parliament in 1981 and subsequently fled into exile.—
Roxane Razavi,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Violence is used to enforce discipline, and those accused of theft or rule violations may be executed or disappeared.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In 2022, six weeks after a new police commissioner formed the Gilgo Beach task force, detectives identified Heuermann as a suspect by using a vehicle registration database to connect him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The bill passed the judiciary committee unanimously.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan majorities.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And the crowd stayed to watch as six hundred young skiers—many of whom were little girls, with glitter on their cheeks—glided around the ski track in the stadium and then stood there in a phalanx, an honor guard as Diggins took a ceremonial last lap.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
-
After Joel Edmundson stepped up to hit Benson, Carrick scooped up the loose puck and glided across the crease for a backhand goal.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Several cars sped out of the parking lot before the victim ran away and collapsed.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Whatever the government claims to be planning should be speeded up.—
Robert Hormats,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Flew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flew. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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