as in to flee
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
when a fight broke out, we hightailed it out of the bar
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hightail (it)
Verb
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The tanker, Bella 1, had renamed itself Marinera and registered under the Russian flag after fleeing the region, according to an intelligence report from AI maritime analytics firm Windward.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026 -
Instead of stopping to help the victim, the driver fled from the area.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As climate change causes sea ice to retreat and the melting zone to expand, these microbes are expected to add more nitrogen to the ocean.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
7 Nov. 2025
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Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The airline said customers looking for a refund on any flight can get one, even if flying basic economy or with a non-refundable ticket.—
Rachel Scott,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The trailer, soundtracked by a lilting piano melody, reveals the basic premise of the film, which focuses on a young boy named Arco from a distant and peaceful future, where humans live in the sky and use rainbow suits to fly through the air.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There are glimpses of a backstage farce, with Nora trying to use a quickie with her married stage-manager lover (longtime Trier regular Anders Danielsen Lie) to quell a panic attack on opening night, then threatening to bolt.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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Parsley leaves also turn bitter after bolting.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Under the public trees, children ran exultantly between cars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The thumping Republicans took in this week's elections reflected longer-running anger among constituencies that already leaned Democratic, but the GOP needs to worry that the government shutdown will cause that frustration to spread.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When officers began to chase him, Rustrian turned off his car’s lights to try to escape police.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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Many winter Texans flock to the city to escape colder temperatures up north, and Mexican citizens also frequent the city for shopping and business.—
Amanda Ogle,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The British-Muslim coming-of-age drama follows two teenage girls who run away from troubled lives, confronting radicalization, identity and belonging.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
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The organ is dropped on the floor and a dog in the waiting room, who'd accidentally consumed marijuana, snaps it up and runs away with it.—
Ana Calderone,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even one of the greatest ever to play this game, Joe Root, could not work out how to break free of the 36-year-old’s shackles here, failing to score a single run off him for 23 balls in a row before finally yielding to the python-like grip when missing one that homed in on his pads.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Golden State ran off nine straight, including seven by Butler, to trail 94-90.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Hightail (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightail%20%28it%29. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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