to fly
- verb
- /flaɪ/
- When these two go at it, ratings fly on cable news.
- fly into a rage
- fly away
- sparks fly
Throughout the day, calculations flew back and forth between scientists.
- Throughout the day, calculations flew back and forth between scientists.
Examples
-
And the years simply flew by.
-
Imagine the words flying out of one's mouth and into the ears of the listeners.
Academic text (2011) -
Wanna fly under the radar, this is how you fly.
-
And the next weeks seemed to fly by before they left for Christmas vacation.
Fiction book (1990) -
Special attention should be paid to musicians flying for the first time.
Academic text (2001) -
Time sure does fly, doesn't it?
-
Throughout the day, calculations flew back and forth between scientists.
-
If you're telling the truth, then you'll fly through this test.
-
My dad drank as well and he'd fly off the handle.
-
If you practice hard, you will fly through the exam with ease.
Synonyms
To move a boat fast in the same direction as the wind
To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control
To move or act quickly because a situation needs it
To move very quickly in one direction
To run away from a place because it is dangerous
To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else
To leave a place or person suddenly, often without saying goodbye
To move suddenly by jumping, leaping, or bouncing
To move very quickly to reach a place
To leave a place very quickly to escape danger or trouble
To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger
To leave a place suddenly without permission
To move very quickly for a short time
Leave quickly to escape danger, often by flying
Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry
A sudden quick movement like a bird or insect passing
To move very quickly with a lot of energy, often to go somewhere
To run away quickly to avoid being caught
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
- Informal
Someone does not understand an idea because it is too hard for them
- Specialized
To pilot an airplane by looking at places on the ground rather than instruments
Compounds
- Jargon
A caught fly ball that lets a player on base score while it puts the batter out
- Offensive
Not reliable and likely to disappear quickly, often for dishonest reasons
- South African
A large African fly that bites people and animals and causes sleeping sickness
A large fly with a shiny blue-green body that lays eggs on dead animals and in wounds
A small bright green beetle from southern Europe that makes a liquid causing blisters
- Specialized
The use of a special rod and line to throw a small fake fly into water to catch fish
A small insect like a moth whose young live in water and build protective cases from stones and plants
A small moth-like insect whose young live in water and build cases from pebbles and plants
A small insect with wings like a moth whose larvae live in water and build cases from sand and plants
A small moth-like insect whose young live in water and build cases from sand and plants
- Specialized
A very small wasp that lays eggs in other insects' eggs or young and helps control pests
A long thin fly with very long legs that looks like a large mosquito but does not bite
- Specialized
A fever people can catch from ticks, flies, or touching infected wild animals like rabbits
- Specialized
Large insect with a soft body and long jaws whose young live in water and are used as fishing bait
- Specialized
A North American bush with pale yellow flowers and berries eaten by birds
A winged insect like a dragonfly whose young dig small cone-shaped pits in sand to trap ants and other insects
A small shrub with pairs of yellowish-white flowers and bright red berries often grown in gardens
A poisonous mushroom with a bright red cap covered in white dots that grows in forests
A North American bush that loses its leaves in winter and has upright stems and pale yellow flowers
- Specialized
A small open deck above the ship's control room for steering and a better view
- Specialized
A narrow high platform at the side of a stage where crew use ropes to move scenery above it
- Specialized
A narrow high platform at the side of a stage where crew work with ropes and equipment
A small delicate insect with thin net-like wings whose young eat garden pests like aphids
A large tropical insect with bright colors and a long snout, once thought to give light
- Specialized
A slender insect with long legs that hangs from plants to catch other small insects
- Specialized
A wasp-like insect that lays eggs inside caterpillars so the young eat them
- Specialized
A large fast fly that catches other insects in the air and drinks their juices
- Offensive
A very revealing outfit that draws attention to the wearer's crotch area
An insect that eats insects, with a long beak and antennae, whose males have a curved tail like a scorpion
How Fast
Surface Forms
Etymology
Fly meaning 'move or happen quickly' comes from the image of birds or objects moving fast through the air, so time or events 'fly' because they seem to pass very fast.