1
as in to hover
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
as in to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to flee
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disappear
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 to pass
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
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Recent Examples of fly
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
As Harper watched the ball fly to deep center field, the crowd erupted, knowing the game was tied off the crack of the bat.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Travel days have a way of demanding both mental and physical multitasking—from sticking to a budget and adjusting plans on the fly to quite literally juggling bags, boarding passes, and passports through crowded terminals.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Henderson, the flight attendant, added that things like under-eye patches are much more common and less attention-grabbing while flying.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
As Harper watched the ball fly to deep center field, the crowd erupted, knowing the game was tied off the crack of the bat.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
The mayors met with lawmakers and federal officials, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, as part of their annual Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative fly-in, and later spoke with ABC News about growing pressures facing the river corridor.
—Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Travel days have a way of demanding both mental and physical multitasking—from sticking to a budget and adjusting plans on the fly to quite literally juggling bags, boarding passes, and passports through crowded terminals.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
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The Animas River in Durango could hop from winter flows hovering around 300 cfs to more than 1,000 cfs by the end of next week.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Michigan's gas prices continue to go up, AAA says, and are currently hovering just below $4 per gallon in much of the state.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Griffin Jax tossed a perfect sixth before David Bednar escaped a seventh-inning jam with two on and one out by striking out Tatis and Marte.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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The mother is a Filipina former model, who moved to New York—partly to escape the judgment of her parents in Manila—and raised her daughter (with the help of her sister) as a single woman.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The agency advised Americans to travel by land to either Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey, given that Iraqi airspace is closed at least until Monday.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Mar. 2026
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That ability to travel across the European Union and to relocate to Italy or other EU countries makes Italian dual citizenship appealing.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From April 2020 to July 2025, 182,000 residents fled to other states, causing a demographic decline and a serious brain drain.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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When officers tried to intervene, the man fled in a car, police said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The charm may have disappeared for the teenage me with the end of season six, but there is no denying the lasting impact of the show.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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Residents in South Philadelphia say package theft has surged in their neighborhood, and some believe squatters are responsible for the majority of disappearing packages.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Judiciary Committee passed the bill with all Republicans and one Democrat voting against it.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Beijing was reportedly in talks with Iran to allow crude oil and Qatari liquefied natural gas carriers to pass through the strait.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This flowery felt iteration from fall 1999 proves that a good silhouette is a blank canvas for any creative director’s vision (just take a look at the latest renditions by Maria Grazia Chiuri, hot off the 2026 runway).—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
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Her legacy indeed lives on in Definitely Thriving, a book which dares to treat the small canvas of an ordinary woman’s experience with seriousness and respect, all the while maintaining that necessary sense of humor which makes the whole thing—life itself—mostly bearable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lexington businessman Nate Morris and former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the other two Republican Senate race frontrunners, are also planing to be in attendance.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Mar. 2026
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Conditions will remain dangerous through the weekend, and people need to plane carefully and be conservative when selecting terrain, according to the CAIC.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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