1
as in jumping
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)
I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in racing
to proceed or move quickly
the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreating
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in exclaiming
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling
bolted out the cuss word without thinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in inhaling
to swallow or eat greedily
the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rushing
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bolting
Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
As reports from the Ukraine war show, taking a drone and bolting a Claymore mine to it isn't new.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
Temperatures consistently above 70ºF will cause bolting.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
This does not mean bolting on new features to your existing products, nor hiring an AI person here or there.
—Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
As reports from the Ukraine war show, taking a drone and bolting a Claymore mine to it isn't new.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
Temperatures consistently above 70ºF will cause bolting.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolting
Verb
-
EDTIn a press conference, authorities shared security camera footage of the gunman running across a roof and jumping down from a building before leaving the Utah Valley University campus.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The footage showed the person running across the roof of one of the university’s buildings, before jumping down and escaping the scene.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Almost skipping back towards the drumkit, Townshend came racing back to the mic ahead of a bluesy late interlude on stage in the Windy City, the home of the electrified artform.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The dachshund, named Cannoli, was captured racing at high speed from his home's entrance to the couch his owner Sarah was seated on, before jumping on top of her and lapping up plenty of attention.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With a signature bright plum lip and highlight in her hair, Williams, 61, kept her people close but didn't shy away from the camera, allowing the fashion week photogs to capture her for a solid 15 minutes before retreating to one of the presentation's regal showrooms.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
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That is because buyers have been retreating from the market due to ongoing affordability issues, including still-rising home prices, historically elevated mortgage rates, and growing economic concern linked to government policies.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Within seconds of inhaling the foul odor, the white dog springs back in disgust and hastily shuffles to the other side of the bed, as though trying to escape the smell altogether.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Casteel suspects that long before whole-body deodorant arrived on the market, many people were using existing products in unsafe ways; in rare cases, people have died from inadvertently inhaling the gases of aerosol deodorants.—
Franklin Schneider,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Before the new regulations, says Annie Inglis, Marine Biology Presenter with Quark, the expedition crew would be hurrying to get guests in Zodiacs to try to get closer to a bear sighting like this.—
Cassidy Randall,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Bolda’s journey, from fleeing Azerbaijan as a child and resettling in Germany with no money or language, to becoming a teacher and financial mentor, illustrates how mastering money is not only about stability.—
Alain Hunkins,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Claire was secretly pregnant with Byron’s child, and Byron himself was fleeing rumors of an incestuous relationship with his half-sister.—
Thomas Page McBee,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What Real Innovators Do Differently The organizations that actually scale don’t waste time shouting about pilots.—
Aditya Vikram Kashyap,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
There's no point in shouting at me about it.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Set in a retrofuturistic 1960s, the adventure has the heroes scrambling to deal with an existential crisis when the planet-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson) shows up, threatening to consume Earth unless Reed and Sue give him their newborn son.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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Could these experiments, it was asked, produce accidental black holes — devouring Earth — or even conditions that might tip the Universe, cataclysmically, into a new physical state?—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bolting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolting. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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