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 officer was able to get behind a barrier and avoid being hit, and Carter fled in the U-Haul, police said.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026 -
The routes are also used by Lebanese civilians, including by people seeking to flee to the north for safety.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chinese companies aren’t retreating from the Arabian Gulf despite turmoil in the region, according to one of the world’s top management consultants.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
26 Mar. 2026
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As explained by the bank earlier in the week, its commodities strategists expect Brent crude to average $105 in March, spike to $115 in April, and then gradually retreat to $80 in the fourth quarter, assuming flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain severely disrupted for roughly six weeks.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While some of the students were flying through the sky for dunks and layups, the impact of the courts goes beyond hoops, too.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
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As the operation collapses into violence and betrayal his only way out is to keep flying.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Strus made six of his eight 3-pointers in a 22-point first half as the Cavs bolted to a 35-point lead.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The last time a technology promised to remake business—when the internet emerged in the 1990s—most companies bolted it on and hoped for the best.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Chicago Federation of Labor is also running a fundraiser for all federal workers impacted by the partial shutdown.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Currently, the group runs 18 restaurants across the city—some Michelin-acclaimed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The former dictates an excessively politicized life, the latter an effort to escape from the political.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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If a moon’s atmosphere allows gases to condense, much of this heat would escape into space.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s a part of our nervous system, in our adrenaline, which is often about fight or flight, and the one thing athletes can never do is the flight part, which is running away.—
Tim Chan,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
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County police said the second shooter ran away.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Cowgirls ran off nine straight points to start the fourth to snuff out Princeton's hopes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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The legislation is named for Bailey’s autistic daughter, Laila, who once ran off without a trace, a terrifying reality for many families caring for people with disabilities.—
Danielle J. Brown,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 2026.
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