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

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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
The Great Pumpkin flies around the world leaving presents in pumpkin patches for his staunchest believers. — Colin Fleming, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026 Live flies landing on food such as tuna, cheese and chicken were cited at three of seven South Florida restaurants temporarily shut down last week. — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 The plane flies non-stop from the capital directly to Puerto Williams in four hours flat—the only direct commercial flight of its kind. — Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026 Others pointed out how the plan flies directly in the face of existing efforts to reduce the amount of radiation back on Earth. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026 The device then flies back and strikes model Isabella Rojas in the face. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026 The spaceplane flies like a miniature unpiloted version of NASA’s Space Shuttle and reenters the atmosphere for an autonomous land runway landing at the end of each mission. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026 Germany's Lufthansa flies to Israel from Europe and British Airways is scheduled to re-start flights this week. — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 In the tussle between the two, Koya’s light gray robe flies up, exposing her undergarments. — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
  • Using photogammetry, a technique which renders 2D surfaces into 3D models, and game engines, Montoya directs a virtual drone that hovers over the ruins of cities and its strange, frozen residents.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • As Indy hovers above us, for instance, his legs and hips subtly shift.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In the book, a fictional AI escapes its lab, runs copies of itself on machines no one is watching, and eventually releases a virus over time.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Network-level protections provide another barrier if an agent escapes its initial sandbox.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 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
  • Jaros and Rauh calculate that the state will lose money so long as 24 percent of the tax base flees, a condition that’s already been met.
    — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Moss flees across the Mexican border, hiding the money along the bank of the Rio Grande before winding up in a Mexican hospital.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Ro’s Reitano suggested using the government’s scale to negotiate lower prices, and to structure programs that pay for patients staying on the treatment, not just starting it, as much of the health value disappears when patients stop.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Some people get upset when their comment gets flagged and disappears.
    — Joel Feder, The Drive, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Heytens was deeply skeptical that the Virginia law purporting to regulate federal officers passes constitutional muster.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Any savings assumes that local governments don’t raise property tax rates to make up for homestead revenue lost if Amendment 3 passes.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The mogul opened with stories from her childhood while screens behind her showed corresponding images.
    — Ariel Bielsky, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
  • These panels are all standard LED-backlit IPS screens in the company's Liquid Retina family, with custom resolutions for each specific product.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 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 2 Nov. 2026.

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