1
as in to hover
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 to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to flee
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 to disappear
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 to pass
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 fly
CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
The space agency arguably took a smart, calculated risk, though some experts vocally criticized the decision to fly.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Even after Evan Carter walked on four pitches to start the fifth, Sheehan bounced back to get a quick fly out, followed by a 4-6-3 double play on a nifty turn by second baseman Alex Freeland going to his left.
—Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Vinnie Pasquantino tripled with two outs in the eighth, but Finnegan got Salvador Perez to fly out.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
The space agency arguably took a smart, calculated risk, though some experts vocally criticized the decision to fly.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
Jeff Goldblum is perfect as the lanky mad scientist doing nude experiments in his warehouse lab, and his wide-eyed transformation into the horny, sugar-hungry man-fly underlines the weird anxieties that Cronenberg always brings to body horror.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Even after Evan Carter walked on four pitches to start the fifth, Sheehan bounced back to get a quick fly out, followed by a 4-6-3 double play on a nifty turn by second baseman Alex Freeland going to his left.
—Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
Search-and-rescue corpsmen were overhead, with a hovering helicopter squadron.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
With the average price for a vehicle hovering around $50,000, a compact sedan that starts at about $22,000 is an attractive entry point for buyers, industry experts said.—
Robert Ferris,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than escape, the sheepherder accepts his death.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Police said another man and a woman escaped uninjured.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s according to a reporter traveling with Vance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Glover will become the first Black man to travel to deep space, Koch the first woman and Hansen the first non-American.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tens of thousands fled by boat from Hue, many drowning in the attempt, and by the end of March a million refugees—soldiers, civilians, whole extended families—were clogging Route 7B, a major highway, trying to get farther south.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
More than 12 million have had to flee their homes, earning Sudan the unfortunate privilege of having the world’s worst displacement crisis.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In April 2024, more than two decades after Kim Langwell disappeared, David Wiley was ready to talk to investigators.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Burring nettle is a winter annual that disappears during hot weather but seeds can sprout again in late fall.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Both have sufficient power to quickly get you up to highway speeds or pass a slow-moving vehicle without trouble.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The complaint, which put the Bible ban in the spotlight at Tuesday's meeting, was made after RUSD officials passed a controversial policy that allows the removal of books deemed inappropriate for students.—
Lesley Marin,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Originally introduced in 1944—made of builders’ canvas for hauling ice—it’s still made in Maine, one tote at a time, tested to hold 500 pounds.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The bag, usually a canvas tote, is filled with screen-free activities to keep you away from your phone.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lexington businessman Nate Morris and former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the other two Republican Senate race frontrunners, are also planing to be in attendance.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Mar. 2026
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Conditions will remain dangerous through the weekend, and people need to plane carefully and be conservative when selecting terrain, according to the CAIC.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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