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
as in escapes
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in flees
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 disappears
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 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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flies
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
The route makes 18 nonstop flights that Alaska will operate in Boise, well ahead of Southwest Airlines, which flies to 10 cities nonstop.
—Kevin Fixler
may 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
That’s what happens when an F-16 flies over the family home, repeatedly — and Tkachuk didn’t mind whatsoever.
—Tim Reynolds, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
The passenger's 69-year-old wife leaves and flies to South Africa.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The missile flies at low altitude to reduce radar detection.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
Leone, a furniture executive, flies exclusively on semi-private planes operated by JSX.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Aliens, dystopian nightmares, and twisted realities are more than likely provoking a reaction from viewers that flies a lot closer to terrified.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
What has four wheels and flies?
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
Verb
The drone flies to your home, usually in about four and a half minutes.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
The route makes 18 nonstop flights that Alaska will operate in Boise, well ahead of Southwest Airlines, which flies to 10 cities nonstop.
—Kevin Fixler
may 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
That’s what happens when an F-16 flies over the family home, repeatedly — and Tkachuk didn’t mind whatsoever.
—Tim Reynolds, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
The passenger's 69-year-old wife leaves and flies to South Africa.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The missile flies at low altitude to reduce radar detection.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
Leone, a furniture executive, flies exclusively on semi-private planes operated by JSX.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Aliens, dystopian nightmares, and twisted realities are more than likely provoking a reaction from viewers that flies a lot closer to terrified.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
What has four wheels and flies?
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
-
Average annual income hovers around $58,000, reflecting a shortage of high-wage opportunities.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
Towing capacity hovers around 6,500 pounds (2,948 kg), depending on configuration.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet no historian ever escapes that burden.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
The dress—a projection of collective hallucination—escapes, whereas a girl is left to die; the one girl who preferred poetry to dresses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
The way Radcliffe scurries out of his chair and into the green room to meet Liu illustrates her visceral impact.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So, Nawi flees on her wedding night.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
-
Searchlight is in development on Lottery, a Permut Presentations drama about a young man with Down syndrome who, after winning the lottery, flees his estranged mother and hits the road with a charming new friend who has ulterior motives of her own.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the intersection of climate and faith, the documentary brings audiences inside one of the most isolated communities in America, a conservative Christian fishing town on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay fighting to hold on as the land beneath them disappears.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Tax savings are real, but when the tax tail starts wagging the family dog, reversibility quietly disappears.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The central Sahel is defined by the continent-spanning arid belt that passes through Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
-
An egg that passes visual and smell inspection up to three weeks past the expiration date is almost certainly still good, regardless of what the carton says.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep mosquitos out.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2026
-
Increasing access to cinemas is another effort, with the number of screens growing from 218 to 369 between 2019 and 2025.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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