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 legislation comes as the country grapples with a severe demographic crisis, exacerbated by the ongoing war with Russia, which has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee abroad.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025 -
The conflict entered its sixth night, as Israel and Iran traded airstrikes that have sent civilians fleeing for safety in Tehran and Tel Aviv.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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There are still questions about the cornerback position and the pass rush, but second-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will have his unit flying around the field making plays.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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Nearly two weeks ago, 62 carbon-spewing private jets reportedly flew world leaders into Kananaskis, Canada, for the G7 summit, raising serious questions about the travel choices of those who are supposed to be tackling climate change and other global crises.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Verb
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And this double-U structure is bolted to a square base that sits on a rotating support for 360-degree horizontal swivel.—
Paul Ridden
June 25,
New Atlas,
25 June 2025
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While legacy automakers outsource software and tech firms try to bolt autonomy onto third-party hardware, Tesla owns the entire autonomy stack.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The official compared Stefanik to current Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin, who ran unsuccessfully against Hochul in 2022, rising to a Cabinet position despite his relatively narrow loss.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
22 June 2025
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Our 6,000 members — and tens of thousands of New Yorkers — are practically running to the polls.—
Audrey Sasson,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2025
Verb
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Police on Friday captured one of the New Orleans parish inmates who escaped six weeks ago in a jailbreak Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the worst in recent state history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
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There is nothing inherently better about Rowling’s magic that would lead its users to escape the loss of a personal sense of accomplishment—or knowledge, skills, or tactility—and as the novels show, the threat of overuse looms as greatly over their existence as our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Dogs everywhere — barking, panting and running away from their owners — was the scene Tuesday at a pop-up wellness clinic for pets at the Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Campus Place in downtown St. Paul.—
Safiya Mohamed,
Twin Cities,
17 June 2025
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Police accused Arturo Gamboa, 24, of brandishing a rifle at demonstrators and running away from two peacekeepers, who ordered him to drop the weapon.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil then hit back-to-back home runs off Taijuan Walker in the sixth inning, but the Mets stopped producing from there.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The gunman, who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black shorts with flowers printed on them ran off down Marcy Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
20 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 3 Jul. 2025.
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