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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An informal education professional, Eitan spent part of his captivity with Yair, and the brothers reportedly fled through tunnels during Israeli airstrikes.—
Itay Stern,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025 -
Madagascar’s president has fled the African nation, the head of the opposition and other officials said on Monday, the second time that young protesters have toppled a government in weeks of worldwide Gen Z unrest.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lady Annabel wore her privilege lightly, and in later years retreated to her home in Richmond, just outside London, enjoying her children, grandchildren and dogs away from the spotlight.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
18 Oct. 2025
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Following the release of his 1996 solo project Euphoria, Vincent retreated from public life.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The 2023 Texas Rangers lost here on the final day of the regular season, which forced them to fly across the country and start the playoffs on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Following a medical evaluation, Alaska Airlines said its crew was cleared to fly, and the aircraft continued on after a 90-minute delay.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In Van Horn, ninety miles southwest of Pecos, the shelter consisted of four outdoor cages bolted to a concrete pad.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
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Suddenly the big buck came crashing up from the forest floor and bolted toward the right.—
Bob Cary,
Outdoor Life,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Maddy Rivard, public relations specialist for Life Time, said Thursday the Big Sugar Classic is one of more than 30 running and cycling events Life Time owns and operates across the country.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
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But against Cleveland – who was without a viable quarterback option in London – Minnesota allowed Quinshon Judkins to run for 110 yards.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most likely their presence would have forced the Americans to postpone their efforts to escape.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
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The dog had allegedly been wearing an electronic fence collar to prevent it from escaping its residence.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And yet, running away is often not the best way to succeed or survive, and so humans, like most other animals, evaluate and manage risks.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
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The sight of a prone Warner fitted for an air cast seemed to deflate the 49ers, who couldn’t keep the impressive Bucs (5-1) from running away.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Milwaukee cut the deficit in half with a run off rookie Roki Sasaki and had the bases loaded before Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang to clinch the win for the Dodgers.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
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The shadow here would be chasing escapism… running off to find harmony somewhere else instead of tending to what’s right in front of you.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
12 Oct. 2025
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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 21 Oct. 2025.
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