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
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
The only production plant for sterile flies, owned by the United States, is in Panama.
—Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 16 July 2025
Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 18 July 2025
According to a 2021 report by The Sun on Sunday, the Queen was kept awake at night with worry over her grandson's habit of flying helicopters, despite his training with the Royal Air Force.
—Stephanie Petit, People.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Conspiracy and misinformation flit around Eddington like horse flies.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
The only production plant for sterile flies, owned by the United States, is in Panama.
—Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 16 July 2025
Noun
And loanDepot erupted: sunflower seeds flying and a cooler of water dumped on the heads of everyone in the Marlins’ dugout.
—Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 18 July 2025
According to a 2021 report by The Sun on Sunday, the Queen was kept awake at night with worry over her grandson's habit of flying helicopters, despite his training with the Royal Air Force.
—Stephanie Petit, People.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
Gold has been hovering in the mid-$3,300s this week, but a change in the appetite for stocks could raise demand for the precious metal.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Our first destination, with the hazy sun hovering over the Norway pine trees skirting Mirror Lake, was the beach bar.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
Eventually, in a moment of crisis, Titch also escapes with him on it, kicking off what will become a wild continent-hopping odyssey.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
21 July 2025
-
The project explores the tension between love and loneliness, questioning whether one escapes solitude by helping others find meaningful relationships.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
Whether traveling solo or as a couple, a private soak is one of the more unique activities in Bryson City.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
22 July 2025
-
It’s thought that Netanyahu may travel to New York in September, prior to the mayoral election, to speak at the U.N. General Assembly’s world leaders meeting.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
In July 1987, flooding on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County forced hundreds of people to flee the area.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
The man continued to flee through the Cub Foods parking lot, toward the occupied grocery store, where an officer fired multiple gunshots at the man.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Winter's influence in deeper waters is also disappearing, with shifts in fall overturn and winter cooling that could impact the lake's ecosystem.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
Acute hives might pop up in one spot and disappear within a few hours, only to show up somewhere else.—
Chloe Castleberry,
Flow Space,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
That legislation went through a nearly year-long debate, with committees in the House and Senate both holding several hearings and amending the legislation before it was ultimately passed in Nov. 2023.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
24 July 2025
-
As days pass, the two men form a deep bond, opening up about their regrets, dreams and the loneliness of facing death too soon.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Officers conducted a canvass of the area and located the suspect, identified as 63-year-old Jeffrey Nicholson of Newark, New Jersey, lying on the ground in a yard on Meadow Street, according to police.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Mamdani’s 14-mile walk this week of Manhattan, in scorching heat, evoked the neighborhood canvasses of John Lindsay, the liberal crusader whose budget priorities contributed to the city’s 1970s fiscal crisis.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Our ruling The Republican Party of Juneau County claimed on Facebook that planes full of unvetted refugees were being accepted to the Milwaukee and Madison airports.—
Sophie Carson,
Journal Sentinel,
3 July 2024
-
All this culminates in a debut album, Addison, that planes down contemporary pop influences into an ooze of familiarity, faintly evoking innovations in underground and alternative music without stepping out of its playlist-friendly lane.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.
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