1
as in rushed
acting or done with excessive or careless speed
a flying attempt at finishing the work
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
that car was flying as it careened down the streets
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as in flight
travel through the air by the use of wings
had never had the slightest fear of flying
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1
as in hovering
to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings
the Wright brothers realized mankind's age-old wish to fly
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2
as in escaping
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation
you must fly to safety immediately
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3
as in travelling
to proceed or move quickly
flew down the concourse to catch his flight
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4
as in fleeing
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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5
as in disappearing
to cease to be visible
the morning mist had flown, and a sparkling sea lay before us
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6
as in working
to withstand scrutiny and gain acceptance or approval
the familiar "Because I said so!" is a reason that won't fly with most teenagers
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of flying
Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
Hundreds of flights to and from UK airports were cancelled on what was projected to be the busiest flying day since 2019, and the Government convened its COBR crisis response.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 27 July 2024
William Earl, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024
The media and general public were alerted to the connection between flying and DVT in 1974, when then U.S. president Richard Nixon developed a blood clot while flying during a diplomatic visit overseas.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flying 
Adjective
Advertisement One of his first flying jobs was towing advertising banners, first in Florida and then in Southern California out of the Compton airport.
—Noun
The former was met with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie (Wes Bentley) engaged in a fight to the death, blood flying and flesh ripping like gladiators in his prefab kitchen.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for flying
Adjective
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Digital marketing agencies focused on niche markets With the rapid growth of the influencer market and rising demand for video content creation, digital marketing agencies are a smart business choice.Melissa Houston, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
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Can-Am claims a rapid top-up to 80% capacity in 50 minutes over Level 2 charging.New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Questions about the social utility of what writers did—questions that have plagued many writers, then and now—weighed heavily on midcentury Italian intellectuals, whose experience of recent history discouraged flights of fancy.Christopher Tayler, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
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South Korea Crash Image See these videos and maps that show how a Jeju Air flight crashed and became the deadliest aviation disaster in years.German Lopez, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Gone are the days when connecting with others meant hovering awkwardly around a plate of sweating cheese cubes, or trying to fit your whole name on a too-small name tag.Aytekin Tank, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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Countless people have reported mysterious hovering objects dotting the night skies and posted blurred images — a white light, a black background — on social media.Michael Wilson, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Their family was on the run, escaping the mortar fire that drove them from their home in Hari Fara, one of the last refuges for Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority.Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
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The 1922 version's climax is more focused on Knock escaping and being hunted by the townsfolk because he's scapegoated for the plague.Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In May, eight soldiers were sentenced to death for fleeing the battlefield, and in July, 25 soldiers were convicted of similar offenses.Jean-Yves Kamale and Wilson Mcmakin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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After a clerk refused to give her money, the woman attempted to break into the cash register before fleeing in a black SUV displaying out-of-state license plates, police said.Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The investigation was the result of an agreement between the city and a community group, the Crane Boulevard Safety Coalition, which found out about the disappearing messages in the course of litigation involving the construction of a home in Mount Washington.Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
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The inquiry into their use came during a 2023 dispute between the city and the Crane Boulevard Safety Coalition, which stumbled on the disappearing messages after the city approved the construction of a home in Mount Washington.Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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There have been many examples of that from our first edition up until today with global producers and DJs working with top headliners from Saudi, Egypt, Lebanon and rest of the Arab world.Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
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Before coming to The Athletic, Weiss spent a decade working for the government, primarily as a compliance bank regulator.Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Mings’ handball turned out to be decisive and Emery, speaking in a hurried post-match press conference, partially blamed his team’s loss on the incident.Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
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Conservative news website Townhall followed one minute after Jones, posting a clip of Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes giving a hurried initial news conference.David Ingram, NBC News, 21 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Flying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flying. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
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