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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After a painful breakup, college junior Blake Logan retreats to her family's lake house in Tahoe and meets Wyatt Graham.—
Jessica Moore,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
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Now is the time for California lawmakers to reinforce their leadership, not retreat from it.—
Bob Keefe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Weatherproofing required The project is currently the only one of its kind flying in Scandinavia.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Warriors will play at Detroit on Friday, and then fly to Atlanta to take on the Hawks the next day.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rumors flew that when his contract was up this summer, after the inevitable early-round playoff exit, James would bolt.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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When Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield bolted to Southern Cal, Cantens joined the Trojans as their director of scouting and video operations.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Dozens of candidates ran for five open seats in the Chicago area, where funding from groups supporting Israel and the cryptocurrency industry played an outsize role.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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Bob Fioretti is the lone Republican running for attorney general and will likely go up against Raoul, who has been in office since 2019.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 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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Additionally, do not feed coyotes or run away from them.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
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The suspect ran away from the house and disappeared off camera.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 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 24 Mar. 2026.
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