A fool's bolt is soon shot.
Source: tatoeba (18357)
Bolt
/boʊlt/
Synonyms for "bolt" (521 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (105)
abscondabsence without leaveabsquatulateabsquatulationapostacizeapostasyapostatizearrowarrowheadarticulateassortattachawolbackslidingbaleball lightningbangbarbarbbarricade
Show 69 more words
barrierbattenbatten downbeat a retreatbetraybetrayalbindleblatblockblock upblockadeblowblurt outbobtailed arrowboilbolabolt downbolt of lightningbolt uprightbombbombshellboomerangbouquetbreak awaybreakawaybrickbatbucklebudgetbundleburn outbuttbuttonbutton upcareercatchcategorizechain lightningchange sideschargechasechested arrowchockchokechoke offclapclarifyclaspclassifyclearclear outcleatclipcloseclose offclose tightclose upcloth yard shaftcoilcollateconnectconstrictcontaincontractcordoncordon offcountermissilecovercramcrowd
Verb(8 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Strong matches (156)
cry outcullcull outcut and rundark lightningdartdashdash offdebardecampdecampmentdeckdecrassifydefectdefectiondeitydepartdepuratederelictiondesert
Show 96 more words
deserterdesertiondevourdisappearancedisappearing actdisloyaltydistilldividedogdovetaileat upedulcorateejaculateelopeelopementeluteengorgeerectescapeessentializeexclaimexitextracteye-openerfagotfaithlessnessfall awayfall offfardelfascesfascinefastenfilterfiltratefireballfireboltfixfleeflightflingflyflying flamefoldfold upforked lightningfrench leavefugitatefugitationfulgurationfulminationghettoizegingirthglutgluttonizego awolgo overgobblegodgoddessgoing overgorgegormandizegradategradegroupgulpgulp downgunguttleguzzlehasphastehastenhasty retreathegirahiehingehitchhookhumphump ithurryhurtleingurgitateinsulateirish confettiisolatejamjointjumpjump bailjupiter fulgurkeep apartkeep asidekey
Adjective(1 words)
danish skyde
Related words (260)
lacinglashlatchlay asideleachlengthlet downlevantlevin boltlightninglive to eatlixiviatelocklock outlock upmake hastemake offmissilemitermortise
Show 181 more words
nailnosegayoak-cleaving thunderboltsobstructoccludepackpackagepacketpadlockparcelpartpegpercolatepick outpiecepinplumbpoop outportionpostposyprojectilepull outpurifyput asidequarantinequarrelquick exitquiverrabbetracerankratrattingravenrecidivationrecidivismrecreancyrectifyreedrefinerevelationriddlerigidlyrivetrockrocketrodrollrouleaurunrun awayrun away fromrun away withrun for itrun offrun out onrunning awayrushscamperscarfschismscoffscootscourscramscramblescrammingscreenscrewscudscurryscuttlesealseal offseal upsecedesecessionsecludesecuresegregatesell outseparateset apartset asidesewshaftsheafsheet lightningshockshockershootshow the heelsshutshut offshut outshut the doorshut tightshut upsievesiftsizeskedaddleskedaddlingskewerskipskip outslamslip the cableslopsloshsnapsortsort outspeedspiritualizespringsqueezesqueeze shutstampedestand in the waystaplestartstartlestep on itstickstifflystiflestitchstonestop upstraightstrainstranglestrangulatestreakstripstroke of lightningstuffsublimatesublimesubordinatesuffocatesurpriseswallow wholeswitchswitch overtacktaketake flighttake french leavetake to flighttake wingtearthorthrashthreshthrow stickthrowing-stickthunderballthunderboltthunderstroketoggletorpedotreasontrusstryturnturn cloakturn tailturning traitorvolleywaddywalk outwalkoutwedgewinnowwolfwolf downzip upzipper
Noun(35 words)
lamlarileglightning strokelightningslocklockinglocksnut boltquarrelsracescatsscootingscootsscudssecureskitteringslugsprintsprinting
Show 15 more words
spurtspurtingspurtssquirtstampedestampedesstampedingswillingtextile rollthreaded fastenerthunderthunderboltthunderboltstightening boltéclair
Verb(18 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: dash, abscond, abscond, absconded, absconding.
- Sentence evidence is available for bolt, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "bolt".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "bolt"
Keep "bolt" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "bolt" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "bolt", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "bolt" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
36 entriesShowing 16 of 36 words.
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
9 entriesbolt actionbolt cutterbolt holebolt of clothcarriage boltdoor bolthex boltlag boltsteel bolt
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
28 translations across 19 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- топ noun (large roll of material)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 匹 noun (large roll of material)
Dutch
1 entries- rol noun (large roll of material)
Esperanto
2 entries- rulaĵo noun (large roll of material)
- ŝtofbobeno noun (large roll of material)
Finnish
3 entries- paali noun (large roll of material)
- pakka noun (large roll of material)
- rulla noun (large roll of material)
French
1 entries- rouleau noun (large roll of material)
Galician
2 entries- roldo noun (large roll of material)
- rolo noun (large roll of material)
German
2 entries- Ballen noun (large roll of material)
- Rolle noun (large roll of material)
Hebrew
1 entries- גְּלִילָה noun (large roll of material)
Hungarian
1 entries- vég noun (large roll of material)
Italian
1 entries- rotolo noun (large roll of material)
Japanese
1 entries- 反物 noun (large roll of material)
Māori
1 entries- pōkai (papanga) noun (large roll of material)
Portuguese
1 entries- rolo noun (large roll of material)
Russian
1 entries- руло́н noun (large roll of material)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- bolta noun (large roll of material)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- bȁla noun (large roll of material)
- smȍtak noun (large roll of material)
- ба̏ла noun (large roll of material)
- смо̏так noun (large roll of material)
Spanish
1 entries- rollo noun (large roll of material)
Swedish
2 entries- bunt c packe noun (large roll of material)
- rulle noun (large roll of material)
Sample sentences
52 total sentences available.
The news hit me like a bolt from the blue.
Source: tatoeba (45212)
Only if there's a cancellation, and that would be a bolt out of the blue.
Source: tatoeba (63153)
"Done!" says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning.
Source: tatoeba (73989)
Showing 4 of 52 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "bolt"?
Closest matches include dash, abscond, abscond, absconded, absconding.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "bolt"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.