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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fly
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who has lived through plenty of travel-day weirdness, acknowledged the fatigue risk and the reality of flying on the day of a game.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Rockier second inning for Freshcorn, who led up back-to-back hits following a fly out.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Traveling is stressful, especially flying.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who has lived through plenty of travel-day weirdness, acknowledged the fatigue risk and the reality of flying on the day of a game.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Instead, Davidson has been the focal point of opposing team’s game plans from the start, and yet still managed to adjust to the college game on the fly.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Rockier second inning for Freshcorn, who led up back-to-back hits following a fly out.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
Savannah is a city fixated on its ghosts, whether in the form of a hovering spirit or the weight of a rich, complicated history that seems to drape everything like Spanish moss.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The bulk of the movie is set in intake rooms where potential patients are evaluated by medical professionals; hovering over their questioning is the possibility of patients’ involuntary hospitalization, whether for observation, protection, or treatment.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Poor weather and battlefield obscurants continue to endanger warfighters as adversaries rely on these conditions to escape attacks.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Then escape the skyscraper shadows into Hong Kong's New Territories.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The playroom, a lively communal hub called The Hangout, is a dream come true, stocked with both ice-cream treats and healthy snacks (because balance), while practical touches like a dedicated laundry room show that the hotel really gets what families need when traveling.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
This bag is known for its sturdy zippers and durable material for traveling and constant use.—
Olivia Dubyak,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, losses are mounting on the frontlines, and millions of people who have fled as refugees have now settled abroad.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The driver who hit the woman fled the scene before police arrived.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But electrification is not disappearing.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Robinson, a 19-year-old college student, disappeared after going on a date with Maxwell Anderson on April 1, 2024.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
When a soccer player runs downfield in anticipation of the ball being passed to them, the goal is to have the ball arrive where the player will be in the future, but that mental calculation is familiar to us, intuitively, because the soccer field itself is static and unchanging.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If glare is a concern, opt for textured works, canvases, or three-dimensional pieces instead.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The result is a sweeping, immersive digital installation — a living canvas of color and motion that feels at once cosmic and intimate.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While other teams may begun planing for the next window with a potential 2026 rookie QB on the horizon, the Steelers acquired countless veterans to win right here and right now.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In 2021, a man planed to propose to his girlfriend during a romantic gondola ride in Las Vegas, with passersby stopping to watch and record the sweet moment.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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