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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of flies
David Wilson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Sprinting to the corners in transition as someone like Hart flies up the court with the basketball is one way to do that.
—New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
And her product line (hello, Retinol Reform and Triple Action Signature Peel) always flies off shelves.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Founded in 1951 and known as Air Pacific until 2012, Fiji Airways now flies to several cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Honolulu.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Neighborhoods like Union Hill, Longfellow, Beacon Hill and the West Side are less than 1 mile away as the crow flies from the venue, and parking is usually free.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Here are some big shows to see outdoors before the first snow flies in the metro area, which averages in mid-October, with flakes already falling in the high country.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Fiji Airways flies to several cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and Honolulu, connecting them to Fiji and beyond.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025
To a casual consumer, this might not seem particularly groundbreaking, but to the whiskey enthusiast segment, the idea flies directly in the face of a broader cultural shift that has brought bigger, bolder, and higher-proof whiskies into the spotlight over the last 25 years.
—Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
Another banner flies high above Hard Rock Stadium Another home game, another banner.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Sprinting to the corners in transition as someone like Hart flies up the court with the basketball is one way to do that.
—New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
And her product line (hello, Retinol Reform and Triple Action Signature Peel) always flies off shelves.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Founded in 1951 and known as Air Pacific until 2012, Fiji Airways now flies to several cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Honolulu.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Neighborhoods like Union Hill, Longfellow, Beacon Hill and the West Side are less than 1 mile away as the crow flies from the venue, and parking is usually free.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Here are some big shows to see outdoors before the first snow flies in the metro area, which averages in mid-October, with flakes already falling in the high country.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Fiji Airways flies to several cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and Honolulu, connecting them to Fiji and beyond.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025
To a casual consumer, this might not seem particularly groundbreaking, but to the whiskey enthusiast segment, the idea flies directly in the face of a broader cultural shift that has brought bigger, bolder, and higher-proof whiskies into the spotlight over the last 25 years.
—Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
-
One of the most important phenomena in high-altitude Sonoma vineyards is the inversion layer, the blanket of fog that hovers between 800 and 1,800 feet throughout many mornings of the growing season.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
28 Sep. 2025
-
No aura of ambiguity hovers over Catherine Leroy’s photographs.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jesan escapes from defeat by kidnapping Ji-yeon and requesting Heon meet him alone.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Continue reading … ON THE RUN – Fear grips major US city as accused teen killer escapes in jail error.—
,
FOXNews.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The older dog is shown marching along, while the puppy scurries along, attempting to match its pace.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
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In the Netflix movie, Serayah plays Ruth Moably, a musician who flees Atlanta to care for her late boyfriend's mother, Naomi (Phylicia Rashad), in rural Tennessee.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
As night falls amid the vast trees and lush greenery, a teenage boy breaks a window, climbs out of it and flees toward the forest on foot.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Based on the book by Slow Horses scribe Mick Herron, in Down Cemetery Road, when a house explodes in a quiet Oxford suburb and a girl disappears in the aftermath, neighbor Sarah Trafford (Wilson) becomes obsessed with finding her and enlists the help of private investigator Zoë Boehm (Thompson).—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
-
But when the owner's daughter disappears, he's tasked with finding her — and has a number of fun (wink) dalliances along the way.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Democrats want a deal now, and Republicans say nothing can happen until their bill passes.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
As Imelda passes near Bermuda, 2 to 4 inches — 50 to 100 mm — of rainfall is expected from Wednesday into Thursday.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
People can also eliminate standing water around their home and install or repair screens on windows and doors.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The pavilion’s interior was reminiscent of a military entertainment bar, with a dim red light, two screens placed on opposite walls, and a couple of microphones standing in the middle.—
Joanna Warsza,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The funding pause leaves many new homeowners in high-flood risk areas scrambling for protection and could halt the processing of current damage claims.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
That leaves Wednesday’s release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting as the main economic report to watch in the coming week as the central bank is self-funded and unaffected by the shutdown.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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