flies 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of fly
1
as in hovers
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
3
4
5
6
as in passes
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

flies

2 of 2

noun

plural of fly

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of flies
Verb
Today, the 41-room property flies Hilton’s LXR flag, but the homely atmosphere remains, thanks to Barbieri’s photographs and local artworks lining the hallways, and the ever-smiling staff who greet every guest by name. — Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 The 1983 movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, portrays the fight as gritty and grounded, taking place during a rainstorm where mud flies as fast as fists. — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 With his ring powered up, John flies over and drops off a bag of money as restitution to the waitress Maggie (Hannah Christine Shetler) who lost her family in the Manhunter attack. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 Barranquilla and Cali become the third and fourth cities in Colombia where JetBlue flies. — Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 Bark Air currently flies from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Madrid. — Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Oct. 2026 FlyDubai, owned by the Emirati government, flies 10 round trips a day. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026 Life cycle Female apple maggot flies lay 300 to 500 eggs over their 30-day life span. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 Jet2 mainly flies vacation routes from British airports to destinations around the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and Europe. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
  • The boon for traders and bankers comes as AI investment is fueling US economic growth even as consumer sentiment hovers at historic lows due to concerns about the cost of living, from rising energy prices to stubborn food inflation.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After lingering over spaghetti alle vongole at Ristorante Lido Azzurro, which hovers over the sea near Amalfi’s harbor, zip around the coast to sea caverns and grottos, pausing for dips in secluded spots away from the crowds.
    — Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • At the end, however, Mary escapes the train and is given a second chance to live.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The cost of a homegrown tool, including an error that escapes into production, say on a manufacturing line or in a financial services security breach, is huge.
    — Dan Faulkner, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Inside Botánica Santo Tomas in Wilton Manors, store owner Héctor Giovanni Pizarro Santana sweeps the floor as his tiny Chihuahua, Bella, scurries behind him.
    — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Alicent scurries the great halls, desperate to shore up support for her plan to hand Rhaenyra the Red Keep.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • The agent then flees into the titular pawn shop as a mob of protesters pursue him.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The next shift is to build continuity around the product itself, and its ownership… For brands, a product no longer disappears after the first sale.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • First, a Portuguese fishing vessel disappears without a trace.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • If the measure passes, expect a highly spirited game of hide-the-loot.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Locally, rate pressure remains high for the rare instances in which cargo passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Being Heumann debuted last month at TIFF and screens this week in London as one of the London Film Festival headline galas.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The single most effective habit change is raising screens to eye level.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This news soon wings its way to Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), the magazine’s publisher, who hires her to be Runway’s features editor.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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