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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One occupant fled outside, while the other tried to fight the blaze, the department said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026 -
This reform hasn’t fixed California’s cost-of-living issues or kept people from fleeing.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The challenge is not to retreat from circulation, but to insist that circulation be thought through, grounded in specific places and their conditions, and accountable, open to friction, contamination, and transformation rather than insulated coherence.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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The neighborhood/area Upscale with large avenues, grand villas, and plenty of greenery, Parioli’s the perfect place to retreat to after a day’s sightseeing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By then, red flags were already flying.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The pair launched a fundraiser to pay for more helicopter flying hours and advanced search gear.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Their Orion capsule bolted out of orbit around Earth right on cue and chased after the moon to nearly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) away.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Mancini coached Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 then failed to get the Azzurri to the next year’s World Cup before bolting to take over Saudi Arabia’s national team.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kansas City councilman Nathan Willett also filed to run for the seat after Graves’ announcement.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Which is also super hazardous for someone in a massive suit running around [laughs].—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the third inning Rocker was faced with runners on the corners with Spencer Steer up to bat with two outs, and Rocker retired the left fielder in three pitches, ending with a ground out to third base to escape the inning with no damage.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
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Angels reliever Chase Silseth escaped a two-on, no-out jam in the seventh.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to the police report, the mother was cornered and groped at her car with her children in the back seat before the man ran away.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Vonbrandt ran away after dinner on an August night.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rocker finished his outing giving up two runs off six hits in five innings with three strikeouts but still ended up with the loss.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
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The other man ran off and is being sought.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 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 6 Apr. 2026.
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