1
as in hovers
to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings
the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in escapes
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in flees
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
no one in the movies ever thinks to fly from the ax murderer and immediately call the police
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in disappears
to cease to be visible
the morning mist had flown, and a sparkling sea lay before us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in passes
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
the familiar "Because I said so!" is a reason that won't fly with most teenagers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flies
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
One drone flies right above our heads.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
This is where the car flies over another car.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Jeff and Helen end up in first class, and on a real jet that flies at 33,000 feet and at 600 miles per hour.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Time flies, however, and Peter is still up to his old tricks.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
The starting flag flies Tuesday on Xbox X/S and PC.
—ABC News, 15 May 2026
In the first round, players hit the first ball while the second flies by during their follow-through.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Blake scrambles back to prevent the catastrophic, but the shot flies over the bar.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
Verb
Roughly a mile away as the crow flies is the site of what once was known as Mills College, which was a private, four-year liberal-arts college for women.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
One drone flies right above our heads.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
This is where the car flies over another car.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Jeff and Helen end up in first class, and on a real jet that flies at 33,000 feet and at 600 miles per hour.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Time flies, however, and Peter is still up to his old tricks.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
The starting flag flies Tuesday on Xbox X/S and PC.
—ABC News, 15 May 2026
In the first round, players hit the first ball while the second flies by during their follow-through.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Blake scrambles back to prevent the catastrophic, but the shot flies over the bar.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flies
Verb
-
Average annual income hovers around $58,000, reflecting a shortage of high-wage opportunities.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
Towing capacity hovers around 6,500 pounds (2,948 kg), depending on configuration.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The house is basically painted all white everywhere but somehow escapes being bland.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
17 May 2026
-
Coltrane escapes trouble at every turn in the finale episode.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
The way Radcliffe scurries out of his chair and into the green room to meet Liu illustrates her visceral impact.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So, Nawi flees on her wedding night.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
-
Searchlight is in development on Lottery, a Permut Presentations drama about a young man with Down syndrome who, after winning the lottery, flees his estranged mother and hits the road with a charming new friend who has ulterior motives of her own.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the intersection of climate and faith, the documentary brings audiences inside one of the most isolated communities in America, a conservative Christian fishing town on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay fighting to hold on as the land beneath them disappears.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Tax savings are real, but when the tax tail starts wagging the family dog, reversibility quietly disappears.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Granit Xhaka was the midfielder primarily tasked with threading progressive passes through opposing lines, while Florian Wirtz would often receive these with space to turn and run towards goal.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Southeast Asia doesn’t have the luxury to bet its economic future on a 6,000-mile supply chain that passes through a single, 21-mile-wide chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Thanks to their single-cable connectivity, espresso’s displays support USB-C power delivery, which means the screens can draw their power and video signal from the host laptop with just one cable.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
With studies showing people spend an average of one full day each week online and many reporting frustration with constant phone use, demand is rising for places where slower rhythms, nature and face-to-face connection replace screens.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
This news soon wings its way to Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), the magazine’s publisher, who hires her to be Runway’s features editor.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flies. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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