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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hightail (it)
Verb
-
Velasco said families have fled to nearby towns, where many now take refuge in a soccer field.—
Megan Janetsky,
Fortune,
10 May 2026 -
The suspect also shot a woman, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, before fleeing the scene, according to police.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Just as people must eventually retreat from outdoor living spaces—whether a porch, lawn, or patio—and head indoors, so too must our things.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
-
In an attempt to spark inspiration for a new Little Death origin story, Kris pays a visit to the present-day Billy, played by a regal, knowing Gillian Anderson, who retreated from public life after that first installment and whom Kris hopes to persuade to appear in her reboot.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The little girl was holding her mom’s hand when the bullets started flying outside the Southern Blvd.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
For now, though, SLS is the only rocket powerful enough and certified to fly Orion to the moon.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The quick turnaround was a whirlwind for Griffin, who bolted from Westchester to the busy downtown Brooklyn streets.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey revealed that hiring bolted higher in March after falling to near-historic lows the month before.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Here’s one of several places where Footer’s biography runs into problems.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Enter this breathable maxi dress, which is comfortable and functional enough to run errands in, while still being stylish enough for hosting brunch or packing for a beach vacation.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
On March 15th, while Hitler spoke from a palace balcony to hundreds of thousands of ecstatic Austrians, Heidi’s father planned escapes for his family.—
Nicholas Dawidoff,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
After a few years, Turner could probably escape his standstill by quitting the board, and press to axe Levin and ascend to CEO.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The man eventually ran away down Williams' quiet neighborhood and took off his outfit just minutes before the Livonia Police showed up.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
The driver and sole occupant of the Chevrolet ran away from the crash and has not been identified our found, Gonzalez said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
There were also rumors around town that Lillian had run off with someone.—
Sarah Dahlberg,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
-
Davis gave up one run off six hits with four strikeouts in nine innings of work, and Saarloos praised his pitcher.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Hightail (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightail%20%28it%29. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
