as in fled
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 hightailed (it)
Verb
-
Police said the group stole an ATM and fled in a dark SUV.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026 -
Police said the driver fled the scene after the collision.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The result of days of negotiations Thursday’s proceedings came to a standstill as lawmakers retreated behind closed doors and Johnson reached for an agreement to resolve the standoff.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Baker retreated up another flight up stairs and called out to Rivera, who was on the floor below his perch.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chesney the Kangaroo’s Close Calls and Cold-Water Dash The team managed to get close to Chesney twice, but the frightened kangaroo bolted both times.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The pair bolted for a taxi, and Hooker stayed overnight at a local hotel.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and also worried it might be killed during capture, something that happened to a puma that escaped from the same zoo in 2018.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Another novel aspect is that Yarris escaped from custody in 1985, only to be quickly recaptured in Florida and sent back to death row in Pennsylvania.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The injury occurred while running the bases, so Soto has to be able to slow down, speed up and round the bases before returning to play.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The event was created by three women inspired after running monthly 5Ks — now turning that passion into something bigger.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 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
“Hightailed (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightailed%20%28it%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
