1
as in rushed
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
a flying attempt at finishing the work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
that car was flying as it careened down the streets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in flight
travel through the air by the use of wings
had never had the slightest fear of flying
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in hovering
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
2
as in escaping
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traveling
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fleeing
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 disappearing
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 working
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of flying
Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
Wonder plant and insect camera Bird Buddy is moving on to smaller flying creatures of the outdoors.
—Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2025
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Six bystanders in the crowd were injured that night, either by bullets or flying shrapnel, Azmoudeh said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
The Air Force is repeatedly flying heavy bombers near the Venezuelan coast as a show of force, too.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flying
Adjective
Our fact-check sources Chaos Factory (YouTube), Sept. 1, 2023, BREAKING: UFO's seen over South Florida today being followed by military attack helicopters
Business Insider, Feb. 12, 2023, The US has shot down 3 suspicious flying objects in 3 days.
—Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
Wonder plant and insect camera Bird Buddy is moving on to smaller flying creatures of the outdoors.
—Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
The team collected museum specimens for the brown rat, house mouse, Eastern grey squirrel, Eastern chipmunk, muskrat, white-footed mouse, fox squirrel and Southern flying squirrel, making anatomical measurements of each for statistical comparisons.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Six bystanders in the crowd were injured that night, either by bullets or flying shrapnel, Azmoudeh said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Most of today’s personal flying vehicles fall under the category of EVTOLs (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft).
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
The Air Force is repeatedly flying heavy bombers near the Venezuelan coast as a show of force, too.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flying
Adjective
-
Our poor Toby, always so stressed, always so rushed.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
These alternatives can often provide a richer, less rushed experience than a whirlwind day trip to Paris.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The rapid advances of AI and the ceaseless scheming of cybercriminals and hackers make cyber startups one of the most dynamic and innovative sectors of the tech industry, Chahal says.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
-
For all the confidence from trade negotiators in recent days and the leaders’ warm remarks as talks got underway in Busan, whether the meeting would take place at all remained an open question just days ago after a rapid escalation of frictions between the two sides.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Scott Parker’s team possess all of the qualities that Vincent Kompany’s side lacked — a solid defensive foundation, togetherness, fighting spirit, and valuable top-flight experience led by example from defender Kyle Walker and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Earlier in the evening, the FAA said the airport would be unable to land arriving flights for a period because no certified air traffic controllers were available at the hub.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
West Ham were hovering above the relegation zone, which led to the reappointment of David Moyes, who replaced Manuel Pellegrini, and saw the January arrivals of stalwarts Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Another snippet from the trailer shows someone falling from the sky in the Upside Down as hovering masses of land bob around the clouds.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They were forced to—escaping with just the clothes on their backs and the courage to rebuild their lives in a foreign land.—
Grace Meng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Though underground testing is considered safer, 32 of those tests in Nevada resulted in fallout escaping into the atmosphere, according to a 1993 UN report.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Theories about this abound—all have their evidentiary shortcomings—but Greenblatt agrees with a common one that sees Marlowe traveling to France and uncovering Catholic conspiracies against the Crown.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Officials said Booth allegedly stopped chasing the uncle, dropped the screwdriver and stripped off her clothes before fleeing from responding police.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The characters from Malczewski’s canvases march through successive decades, fighting and fleeing various yokes.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The plan worked, and within hours, the animals were seen disappearing into the dark water, and emerging further down the line, to breathe from the holes the volunteers had placed in the ice above.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Most of those trout that were netted and hoisted for a picture likely lived, splashing water through the air and then disappearing back into the river.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flying. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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