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

Relevance

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
  • Another relative, Lolo Villalobos, was the longtime mayor of Guanabacoa, Cuba, before fleeing the country after Fidel Castro took power.
    — Austin Horn July 30, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Thousands of Ukrainians who arrived in the United States after fleeing the war expected to be away from home only briefly.
    — Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • But Americans want to know that colleges are responding with urgency to the crisis in our public life, not retreating from it.
    — Rajiv Vinnakota, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • In the second World Cup semifinal, England struck first, taking a 1-0 lead early in the second half and then retreating into a defensive shell.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 16 July 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • Breakker connected with a flying cross body over the barricade on Breakker as Cole talked up Evans developing an edge.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • The internet did not unlock productivity until businesses rewired processes around digital workflows rather than bolting websites onto analog operations.
    — Nigel Vaz, Time, 20 July 2026
  • Timing your planting to avoid summer heat will prevent bolting.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 7 July 2026
Definition of bolting
Verb
  • Surveillance video, however, shows Harris running away as Hicks shoots at him.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Kaplan went on to say even if they aren’t severely injured, dogs can simply get scared and start running away.
    — Tanya Edwards, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of running away
Verb
  • Backstage, Juice Robinson questions where David Finlay and Clark Connors are running off to before challenging them to a Double Chain Tag Team Match at Redemption.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • To keep water from running off, use a low and slow method such as a soaker hose or drip irrigation to allow the water to slowly sink into the roots for deep watering.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
Definition of running off
Verb
  • Social media became a running chronicle of the movement, helping transform an exam grievance into a national conversation.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • In video her family shared on Instagram, several police officers can be seen running toward the commotion while parents clutch their children.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 28 July 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.

Browse Nearby Words

hightailed (it)
hightailing (it)
hightail (it)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hightailing (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightailing%20%28it%29. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of sultry

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All