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
Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Even in the Midwest, Nebraska flies blissfully under the radar of most tourists' radars.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The Chinese flag flies in Tiananmen Square, as seen from the Great Hall of the People, where meetings of the National People's Congress continued in Beijing on March 6, 2025.
—Mike Kuiken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Flavien Prat flies in to ride Brant, who was purchased for $3 million in March by Amr Zedan.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Headquartered in Florida, Spirit Airlines flies to more than 90 destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, the company said on its website.
—Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The super generation from the west side of the country flies to southern California, but the super generation from the east, which passes through Wisconsin, are the butterflies that migrate to Mexico each year.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
At altitudes of 20 to 100 kilometers (12 to 62 miles), the DF-17 flies below the reach of most midcourse missile defence systems, which usually operate above 100 kilometers (62 miles).
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
All six passengers and crew onboard the Family Boat, which flies the Portuguese flag, were reported safe and unharmed.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Even in the Midwest, Nebraska flies blissfully under the radar of most tourists' radars.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The Chinese flag flies in Tiananmen Square, as seen from the Great Hall of the People, where meetings of the National People's Congress continued in Beijing on March 6, 2025.
—Mike Kuiken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Flavien Prat flies in to ride Brant, who was purchased for $3 million in March by Amr Zedan.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Headquartered in Florida, Spirit Airlines flies to more than 90 destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, the company said on its website.
—Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The super generation from the west side of the country flies to southern California, but the super generation from the east, which passes through Wisconsin, are the butterflies that migrate to Mexico each year.
—Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
At altitudes of 20 to 100 kilometers (12 to 62 miles), the DF-17 flies below the reach of most midcourse missile defence systems, which usually operate above 100 kilometers (62 miles).
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
-
The homicide clearance rate is extraordinary for a city that hovers around 1 million residents.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Tuition for in-state students hovers at $7,000, while out-of-state tuition is just under $20,000.—
Francesca Walton,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Pete escapes into the snowy woods, but Lambert tracks him down and ties him up.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Kafka always escapes interpretation.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In some versions of the tale, the wolf scurries off to the forest while the three pigs live happily ever after in humble homesteads of their choice.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
-
By now, though, her face falls completely off and scurries away.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pascal would star as a corrupt cop who flees 1930s Los Angeles for Mexico with his lover, played by Danny Ramirez.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Peacemaker flees back into the QUC and alternate Peacemaker follows.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Related Stories When Ema disappears and tragedy is covered up, Daniel faces betrayal and decides to seek revenge before leaving.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Friedman explained that architects Foster & Partners designed a retractable 15-foot elevator that comes up and disappears to avoid blocking its neighbors’ views of the Eiffel Tower.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So, to observe them, astronomers rely on stellar occultations — moments when an object passes between them and a background star.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The entrance to the car park even passes under a portcullis and guests’ bags go through an X-ray machine hidden in the rock-face.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Inside the West Wing, staff sat in shocked silence, scrolling to see the latest updates of news on their phones and messages on their computer screens.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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The index also applies liquidity screens, quarterly rebalances and daily calculations.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At each camp, the team leaves behind a small but powerful item, a red card that explains what to do during encounters with immigration officials.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
When her mother leaves the room for a moment, she's accosted by a demonic entity that toys with her through funhouse-style reflections, creating this evil doppelganger of Judy.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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