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)
Verb
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In December 2025, a man was shot in the leg during a fight, with the shooter fleeing the scene.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
12 May 2026 -
The organization, known by its French acronym MSF, reported treating over 40 gunshot victims within 12 hours while providing temporary shelter to 800 people fleeing the violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That deadlock prompted an unusually long recess of nearly 90 minutes that was followed by a 6-0 vote in favor of retreating on the bus stops.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Many of them have been linked to retreating glaciers, as melting ice destabilizes the mountains and land that had been covered for centuries.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Other things flying up include flexible repair patches for sealing the space station’s hull, a replacement ultrasonic inspection tool, spare units for the station’s vibration monitoring system and parts to improve water processing and oxygen generation.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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The pair got the gold-star treatment from some European designers, with Chanel flying them over to attend the fall show and to dine privately with Karl Lagerfeld.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The trick is integrating them during the remodel, rather than bolting them on after a fall.—
Amy Kunst,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
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None bigger than the bombshell on April 28 that this OPEC stalwart for nearly 60 years is bolting.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Willis said Murry reportedly argued with the victim before firing multiple shots, then returned to rummage through the car and took things out of it before running away.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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In the original version, Sue just starts running away screaming because the head explodes.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Watering plants in pots takes much less time because all the water goes directly to the roots, instead of running off the soil surface.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
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The water running off the farm tested thousands of times higher than federal drinking water standards for forever chemicals.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Then the Knicks coach, Mike Brown, tweaked the offense, running more of it through Towns, and the team became a juggernaut.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
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People running this Daily News must live in a parallel universe.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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 13 May. 2026.
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