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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Lauren Frayer, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026
In Absolute Wonder Woman, drawn by Hayden, who is also part of this artistic new wave, Diana Prince is raised in Hades by the sorceress Circe to be a witch, not on Paradise Island by caring Amazonians, and flies on a skeleton horse.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
If Kane makes it through safely and flies to the World Cup free of injury, then England can still be a good team.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump flies through the airport on the way to and from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2026
The lunar reconnaissance orbiter flies by at about 31 miles high.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Banish flies from your home this spring with this easy-to-use insect trap.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Back at Mill Creek Park, amid a crowd of protesters taking a breather after the march, one demonstrator flies a kite.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The highlight of the mission will likely be the few-hour period when Artemis 2 flies around the back side of the moon, at a distance as close as 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers).
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
In recent days, video footage of Father Najib Amil, a Maronite Catholic priest in the mostly Christian village of Rmeich, Lebanon — about a mile, as the crow flies, from the Israeli border — has gone viral on social media.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026
In Absolute Wonder Woman, drawn by Hayden, who is also part of this artistic new wave, Diana Prince is raised in Hades by the sorceress Circe to be a witch, not on Paradise Island by caring Amazonians, and flies on a skeleton horse.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
If Kane makes it through safely and flies to the World Cup free of injury, then England can still be a good team.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump flies through the airport on the way to and from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2026
The lunar reconnaissance orbiter flies by at about 31 miles high.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Banish flies from your home this spring with this easy-to-use insect trap.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Back at Mill Creek Park, amid a crowd of protesters taking a breather after the march, one demonstrator flies a kite.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The highlight of the mission will likely be the few-hour period when Artemis 2 flies around the back side of the moon, at a distance as close as 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers).
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
-
On a warm Sunday afternoon, Shamim Popal hovers in the kitchen of her Middleburg, Virginia, home, making brunch for her family.—
Liam Scott,
Washington Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The average for 3-point shooting, pro and college, hovers around 35%.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tereza, desperate to shirk a government order that’s all about maintaining national productivity above all else, escapes the process that would shuttle her into a retirement colony.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
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Or why not concentrate on poetry that too often escapes notice, with a Local Poetry Month, an Independent-Press Poetry Month, a Poetry in Translation Month, an Uncollected Poetry Month?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Bridgerton fans can spot the Old Royal Naval College mostly throughout season 2, like when a paperboy scurries across the grounds to deliver the latest gossip from Lady Whistledown in the first episode.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Following a violent outburst from Robert, Nancy gets in her car and flees in the last scene of the episode.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Mother Mary casts Hathaway as the title character, who was previously described as a Lady Gaga-meets-Swift hybrid who flees a tour and winds up seeking out an old friend and fashion designer (Michaela Coel) who helped shape her public persona.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Still, critics argue that once data is collected, the risk never fully disappears.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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When the coloring’s finished, simply wash the item in a regular laundry cycle and the ink disappears completely, ready for the next creative session.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An elevated rail line passes through to carry coal to the rest of the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
And Tehran’s stranglehold on the strait — through which a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes each day — has already driven up energy prices worldwide, raising fears of an impending oil shock.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The converted car, filled with seats and fast-moving images LED screens, doesn’t go anywhere but gives you the illusion of traveling through agave fields.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
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For Masters veterans, this is tradition that calls back to earlier days when screens didn’t have a monopoly on our attention.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Her departure to the transfer portal leaves a significant gap in Missouri’s scoring and playmaking.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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