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
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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
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 July 2025
Raising hundreds of millions of flies In one sense, raising a large colony of flies is relatively easy, said Cassandra Olds, an assistant professor of entomology at Kansas State University.
—CBS News, 2 July 2025
Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
Those who could not get inside, live in mobile homes or were in a car were advised to move to the nearest substantial shelter to protect themselves from flying debris.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Verb
Keep insects, flies, and maggots from infesting his body.
Clean and inspect their premises for insect infestation.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 July 2025
Raising hundreds of millions of flies In one sense, raising a large colony of flies is relatively easy, said Cassandra Olds, an assistant professor of entomology at Kansas State University.
—CBS News, 2 July 2025
Noun
American Airlines flies directly from Miami to Beef Island.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
Those who could not get inside, live in mobile homes or were in a car were advised to move to the nearest substantial shelter to protect themselves from flying debris.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fly
Verb
-
Gas prices are hovering near their lowest summer level in four years as millions of people ready themselves to hit the roads over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
3 July 2025
-
As the afternoon progresses, chances of rain drop from 36% to 15%, and in the evening, hover around 10% with a low temperature of 66 degrees.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
And not to get spoilery, but this book is part thriller, and the need to escape becomes quite literal.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
-
For more than two decades, a special team of Mexican police officers has quietly worked along the northern border to track down and deport foreign fugitives who cross into Mexico to escape criminal charges in their home countries.—
Time,
Time,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
-
In 2024, Orange County reported two unrelated cases: an infant returning home from international travel and an adult who traveled internationally.—
Lillian Ashworth,
Oc Register,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
In July 1987, flooding on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County forced hundreds of people to flee the area.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
In June, the U.N. said, more than 147,000 people fled their homes in the central region, once a bastion of safety for those trying to escape the horrors of the capital.—
Jacqueline Charles
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The child disappeared in June of that year but wasn’t reported missing until July when Caylee’s grandmother learned that Anthony hadn’t seen her daughter in a month.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
-
Julie had disappeared from the stage and left a single high heel.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The four-mile trail passes through groves of Great Basin bristlecone pines, with trunks weathered by centuries of snow and sun.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
-
The good news: Robinson is passing along her antique collection, storefront and mission.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Officers conducted a canvass of the area and located the suspect, identified as 63-year-old Jeffrey Nicholson of Newark, New Jersey, lying on the ground in a yard on Meadow Street, according to police.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Mamdani’s 14-mile walk this week of Manhattan, in scorching heat, evoked the neighborhood canvasses of John Lindsay, the liberal crusader whose budget priorities contributed to the city’s 1970s fiscal crisis.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Our ruling The Republican Party of Juneau County claimed on Facebook that planes full of unvetted refugees were being accepted to the Milwaukee and Madison airports.—
Sophie Carson,
Journal Sentinel,
3 July 2024
-
All this culminates in a debut album, Addison, that planes down contemporary pop influences into an ooze of familiarity, faintly evoking innovations in underground and alternative music without stepping out of its playlist-friendly lane.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fly. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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