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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Simmons is then accused of carjacking a vehicle from someone who was at the medical facility and fleeing the scene.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
1 July 2025 -
The brothers ran, but Brown was fatally wounded, and witnesses described seeing a pickup truck fleeing the scene.—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Many analysts believe Iran will retreat, reassemble its nuclear scientists and rebuild its program.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
24 June 2025
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Groups of demonstrators retreated to nearby streets, only to cut back and regroup near the Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Passengers flying in the United States at certain airports are no longer required to take off their shoes when going through security lines, according to news outlets including CBS News and The New York Times on Monday.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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After his strike flew past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese, Jimenez briefly celebrated with his teammates before sitting on the turf at NRG Stadium, pulling out a Mexico jersey with Jota’s name and number (#20), and mimicking playing a video game.—
Martin Rogers,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Verb
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On breaks, journalists would sometimes bolt out of the courthouse, furiously typing or relaying notes to editors over the phone in an attempt to be the first to file breaking news.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
9 July 2025
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The Doberman had apparently bolted during the night and sought refuge in the stranger's yard.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
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His installation is called The Jewel of Mayfair, and features a carpet that runs the length of the arcade, nearly 560 feet, featuring stones and designs from each chapter of his 50-year career.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
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The family at the heart of the story run a tourism business allowing Cappadocia to feature in a way that naturally chimes with the narrative, but the connection between landscape and plot runs far deeper, series director Murat Saraçoğlu says.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
Verb
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For more than two decades, a special team of Mexican police officers has quietly worked along the northern border to track down and deport foreign fugitives who cross into Mexico to escape criminal charges in their home countries.—
Time,
Time,
9 July 2025
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Tanya Ramsey's brother and mother were staying in a cabin 100 yards away, and Jeff Ramsey's call to them gave them enough time to escape, Jake Ramsey said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
9 July 2025
Verb
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The report says that running away can expose children to other adverse consequences like human trafficking, involvement with the criminal justice system, substance use and falling behind in school.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
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Police combed through social media and began releasing public alerts about her disappearance before the girl’s parents found her journal on Saturday, which showed a detailed plan to run away that had been concocted between the girl, Scruggs and Williamson.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
26 June 2025
Verb
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The gunman who mistakenly shot her ran off and is being sought.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
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Trees and shrubs enable water to be stored in soil, instead of rapidly running off and floods.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
27 June 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 13 Jul. 2025.
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