hightailing (it)

verb

present participle of hightail (it)
as in fleeing
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 hightailing (it)
  1. fleeing
  2. retreating
  3. flying
  4. bolting
  5. running away
  6. running off
  7. running
  8. bugging out
Verb
  • Instead of stopping to help Batani-Khalfani, police alleged that Cardenas continued driving, fleeing the scene of the hit-and-run crash.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper filming locales, and the restaurant industry has been shaken by mounting closures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • The pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
    — Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In a world riven by democratic backsliding and polluted with AI slop, there’s something seductive about the idea of retreating to a wild, unnavigable place where no one can follow you—because you’ll be submerged up to your eyeballs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • D’haene said the company also wants to identify practical applications beyond leisure flying.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • For many years people believed that light was made out of particles flying in straight rays.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Captured on video surveillance cameras, the three thieves were seen grabbing hundreds of trading cards and bolting from the shop in less than 10 minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Instead of bolting off the line when the gun sounded, Garret, Retzlaff and about a dozen other girls walked a few meters and then left the course, while the male athlete took off.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolting
Verb
  • The video shows a black SUV speeding over a median and driving toward a man who is running away.
    — Lekan Oyekanmi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Walker arrives at the scene and notices a man running away with a gun in hand.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of running away
Verb
  • The Strawther familiar to Denver is the free-swinging gunner, trailing the play in transition to hunt 3s or running off weak-side screens or waiting for the ball in the corner.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Images released by police showed one person ripping down the flag and then another person running off with the flag.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of running off
Verb
  • On the other, evidence suggests this pair of habitual time-wasters were commonly found on the floor, running laughter through a Yamaha SPX90 effects processor for kicks and strumming the same note for 40-odd minutes.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Albert Ramdin, secretary general of the Organization of American States, also has said that candidates with criminal ties should be barred from running.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of running
Verb
  • There’s a wonderful small moment midway through the season where Reilly’s lightly bugging out in his dingy apartment, shaking out his limbs at sharp, insectile angles to get comfortable.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 May 2026
  • Her baby's father answered the door with his eyes bugging out, and Frierson barged in to find two other guys, needles, spoons and powder on the table.
    — Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Definition of bugging out
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hightailing (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightailing%20%28it%29. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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