to make a bolt

6.8

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

idiom

: salir corriendo

Seeing the fire, the children made a bolt from the house to find safety.

Examples

I made a bolt for it, and they grabbed me at the street door.

Stage Fright (1950)
When he saw the police, he decided to make a bolt and escape through the alley.
As soon as the bell rang, the students made a bolt for the exit.

Synonyms

to get out of here

vsto make a bolt

Informal

∞ 3.0

Leave a place quickly or suddenly

is sudden and unexpected but can sound less neutral than this phrase

to run away

vsto make a bolt

550 1.6

To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control

is sudden and unexpected but not necessarily secretive

to flee

vsto make a bolt

331 2.4

To run away from a place because it is dangerous

is sudden and unexpected but may be used more casually too

to take off

vsto make a bolt

273 3.2

To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else

is sudden and unexpected rather than just starting travel

to run out

vsto make a bolt

78 2.0

Leave a place suddenly, often to avoid someone or something

is sudden and unexpected but not always to avoid others

to bolt

vsto make a bolt

69 2.3

To run away suddenly to escape danger

is sudden and unexpected but may focus more on leaving action

to up and leave

vsto make a bolt

Informal

41 6.3

Go away suddenly without warning or explanation

is sudden and unexpected but may not imply leaving without reason

to make a run for it

vsto make a bolt

Informal

36 5.3

To try to escape quickly, often by running

is sudden or unexpected but not necessarily risky or attempted escape

to rush off

vsto make a bolt

20 3.8

Leave suddenly because you are in a hurry

is sudden too but emphasizes unexpectedness rather than lack of prep

to make off

vsto make a bolt

19 6.4

To run away quickly after stealing or committing a crime

is sudden and unexpected but not necessarily criminally motivated

to hightail

vsto make a bolt

Informal

18 8.3

To leave a place very quickly to escape danger or trouble

is sudden and unexpected but may not imply retreat

to hightail it

vsto make a bolt

Informal

16 8.4

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is sudden and unexpected but can be used less urgently

to skedaddle

vsto make a bolt

Informal

14 9.3

To run away quickly because you are afraid

is sudden and unexpected but not always caused by panic

to push off

vsto make a bolt

Informal

14 6.8

Leave a place or start a journey

is more sudden and often unexpected rather than casual departure

to fled the scene

vsto make a bolt

11 4.4

Leave a place quickly to avoid being caught after causing or seeing trouble

is sudden and unexpected but not restricted to wrongdoing contexts

to get out of Dodge

vsto make a bolt

Informal

7 9.2

Leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is similar in suddenness but not always about avoiding trouble

to run for the hills

vsto make a bolt

Informal

7 5.6

To leave a place quickly to escape danger or trouble

is sudden and unexpected but may cover milder reasons than danger

to bolt from

vsto make a bolt

Informal

5 5.8

To leave a place suddenly and unexpectedly

is sudden and unexpected like this but can be less emotional

to bolt out

vsto make a bolt

Informal

5 4.9

Leave a place suddenly and quickly because you feel scared

is sudden and unexpected but may lack the same emotional cause

to run out of town

vsto make a bolt

5 6.6

Leave a place quickly because people are angry or you are in trouble

is sudden and unexpected but not limited to social pressure

to make tracks

vsto make a bolt

Informal

5 7.2

Leave quickly to go somewhere or to avoid trouble

is sudden and unexpected rather than mainly avoidance-driven

to break away

vsto make a bolt

5 3.6

To escape suddenly from control, capture, or a group

is sudden and unexpected but not only about escaping control

to head for the hills

vsto make a bolt

Informal

4 7.8

To run away quickly to escape danger

is sudden too but can be for any reason, not only danger

to vamoose

vsto make a bolt

Informal

3 8.8

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or questions

is sudden too but more neutral, less playful in tone

to bug-out

vsto make a bolt

Slang

3 8.2

To leave a place quickly to escape danger

is sudden and unexpected but can apply beyond emergencies

to rush away

vsto make a bolt

2 2.5

Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry

is similarly sudden but stresses unexpectedness rather than mere haste

to blow town

vsto make a bolt

Informal

2 9.8

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble

is sudden and unexpected but may be used more playfully

to scat

vsto make a bolt

Archaic

1 9.1

Leave quickly, often because you are scared

is sudden and unexpected but more neutral and descriptive

skiddoo

vsto make a bolt

Archaic

1 9.9

A sudden leaving to escape trouble

is sudden and unexpected but more about the action than the event name

to beat a retreat

vsto make a bolt

1 6.0

To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble

is sudden too but can be less formal and not always strategic

to pop off

vsto make a bolt

1 7.9

To leave a place quickly, often without saying goodbye

is sudden and unexpected but can be more neutral in register

to take to one's heels

vsto make a bolt

Informal

1 6.1

Run away quickly to escape danger or trouble

is sudden and unexpected but not limited to running away on foot

to take to the woods

vsto make a bolt

Informal

8.6

Run quickly into the woods to escape danger

is sudden or unexpected but not always to escape danger

to take your hook

vsto make a bolt

Archaic

9.9

Leave a place quickly because you are not welcome

is sudden and unexpected but not necessarily abrupt in tone

to go offski

vsto make a bolt

Slang

9.9

To leave a place suddenly, usually to go somewhere else

is sudden and unexpected but may be less eager in tone

to skidoo

vsto make a bolt

Archaic

9.1

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or attention

is sudden and unexpected but less focused on avoiding attention

to do the dash

vsto make a bolt

9.3

To run away quickly to avoid being caught

is sudden and unexpected but can be less idiomatic in tone

to bolt down

vsto make a bolt

Informal

6.1

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

is sudden and unexpected but less tied to simple hurry

to make like a tree and leave

vsto make a bolt

Informal

9.8

To leave a place quickly, often as a joke

is sudden and unexpected but usually less jokey in tone

Antonyms

to linger

207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

to stay put

Informal

133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

How Fast

to make a bolt

6.8

to slip away

32 3.4

to leave

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

make a bolt infinitive

made a bolt past

made a bolt past participle

making a bolt present participle

makes a bolt third person singular

Morphology

make + a + bolt

There is a clear link between 'make' (to perform) and 'bolt' (to move suddenly), so the overall sense 'make a bolt (for the exit)' can be related to making a sudden run. However, the expression uses a nominalized form ('a bolt') and a fixed pattern ('make a bolt for ...') that is somewhat idiomatic and requires recognition of the construction rather than purely literal composition, so predictability is limited for learners without exposure.

Etymology

Make a bolt comes from the image of a bolt — a short, fast arrow fired from a crossbow — so if someone makes a bolt for the door they rush away like that arrow. That's why it now means 'to leave or run away quickly'.