to fly
- verb
- /flaɪ/
- They get, you know, all these sort of myths that have been, you know, flying around now for a few years.
Examples
-
Again, the ideology of multilingualism and multiculturalism was flying in the face of common sense and public opinion.
Academic text (2002) -
My concern at the time was that they were the rumors are flying that our unit was going to become a COVID unit.
-
All I know is all these ideas keep flying in.
-
Books on architecture, archaeology, and art fly off his shelves at the merest query.
Academic text (2002) -
Rumors about the new product have been flying around the office all week.
-
The news of the celebrity's engagement quickly started flying on social media.
-
After the scandal broke, accusations were flying in every direction.
Synonyms
Spread among many people, as with a story or rumor
To spread very quickly online and reach many people
Information becomes known to many people
To become known by many people very quickly
To become very popular quickly, especially online
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 Widely
Surface Forms
Etymology
Fly used for news or rumours comes from the idea of things moving quickly through the air, so when words or ideas 'fly' they spread very fast and far.