flies 1 of 2

Definition of fliesnext
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
Eco effort Few & Far Luvhondo operates on solar power and is 100% zero waste, in part thanks to an army of black soldier flies that turn food scraps into fertilizer. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2026 But researchers found in 2022 that brine flies, which form the base of the lake’s food web, and brine shrimp, a multimillion, global fish food business in Utah, had begun to disappear. Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026 The system that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. Emma Burrows, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026 Texas State right fielder Keely Williams flies out to right field. Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026 The system that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026 Dave is a small-plane flight instructor and also flies drones as a hobby. Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026 Try opening a door or window and hope the wasp flies out. Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026 Little filth flies such as drain flies breed in sludge and decaying matter that can build up in drain pipes, says Oi. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
  • That door still hovers in my mind, the dark wood; dark, too, around the edges where light usually shone.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Today, that number hovers around 500.
    Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Jori Heard escapes an at-bat against Reese Atwood but can't get away from Katie Stewart.
    Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
  • With unspoiled beaches, gentle Gulf waters, and sunset skies, Sanibel channels one of Florida’s most restorative weekend escapes.
    Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • The hand then detaches from the arm and scurries forward towards a bannana, flips it upward and secures it on its backside using a single finger.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Seemingly a united front, Michaela agrees to stay in London upon Francesca’s request, but secretly flees in the finale.
    Arushi Jacob, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Ultimately, Taylor is part of the first 33 minutes or so of the movie, until Perfidia flees to Mexico and away from Lockjaw, who Taylor insists never had the power in that dynamic.
    Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Remove those two names, and the record disappears.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Treat the rate as the policy, and the levy disappears from view.
    Martha E. Stark, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The train passes through several pristine natural environments, including the Hudson River, the Adirondack foothills, and Lake Champlain.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026
  • But then — for a price — Disney offers various ‘lightning lane’ passes that allow folks to have access to a shorter line or otherwise skip the line with a reservation time.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • There will be a special show on the Metropolitano’s screens and their public address system, as well as lights around the stadium’s wraparound video scoreboard, known as the ‘sky ribbon’.
    Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
  • That covered a crew of six working approximately 27 days, sifting through roughly 100 square metres of dirt using 3mm mesh screens, plus Indigenous community monitoring throughout the process.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Still, the privacy inherent in private credit often leaves an information vacuum that observers fill with worst-case scenarios.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Tender’s assets Tender CEO Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) engineers the downfall of co-founder Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and eventually leaves Henry holding the bag for the company’s fraud.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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