1
as in to hover
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 to escape
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to travel
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to flee
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disappear
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 to pass
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 fly
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Why does Artemis 2 have so few chances to fly?
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
Seeing the actress let her freak flag fly is a delight, and O’Brien, whose character also displays many facets, matches her step for step.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
The term designates the perfect flying condition where the ceiling is more than 10,000 feet and the visibility is more than ten miles.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Why does Artemis 2 have so few chances to fly?
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
In many ways this is a quintessential Cold War thriller, firmly rooted in the cinematic conventions the franchise was reinventing on the fly, but with palpable shades of real world politics.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
Seeing the actress let her freak flag fly is a delight, and O’Brien, whose character also displays many facets, matches her step for step.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
The latest tally marks an eight-week high and comes after a recent stretch where filings, which are considered a proxy for layoff activity, had hovered around two-year lows.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The service This is where Sofitel shines—attentive, multilingual staff who anticipate your needs without hovering.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There were no sitters within that catalogue of misses — nothing toe-curling or likely to do a million views on YouTube — but his profligacy allowed Dortmund to escape with a 2-1 win.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
To escape Earth’s energy crunch, SpaceX is taking AI to orbit, where near-constant solar energy replaces Earth’s strained power grids.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of helping them, their captain is making the situation worse and will now not be available until Spurs travel to Liverpool on March 16.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
For commuters like Chris, who travels from Roseville to Elverta, delays have become part of the daily routine.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The president flees these tradeoffs as a matter of course and flip-flops unpredictably when pressures rise.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
-
During one game, Graham felt the pass rush and fled the pocket; Brown had ordered him to stay in it, no matter what.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Early Sunday morning will mark one week since Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her suburban Tucson home.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The apparent misalignment disappeared.—
John Paul,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The rules committee voted Tuesday night immediately after voting to pass another measure that would advance the GOP’s voter ID bill, the SAVE America Act.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Those traveling into the Persian Gulf must pass through Iranian waters.—
JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
From crisp cutouts decorated in royal icing, to soft and cakey sugar cookies, or even sugar cookies bars, the simple vanilla dough is a blank canvas for all sorts of designs and flavors.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
-
But more often than not, her stylist's canvas is long hair.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While other teams may begun planing for the next window with a potential 2026 rookie QB on the horizon, the Steelers acquired countless veterans to win right here and right now.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In 2021, a man planed to propose to his girlfriend during a romantic gondola ride in Las Vegas, with passersby stopping to watch and record the sweet moment.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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