I wonder if they don't have meetings anymore where strong words fly and everyone goes at each other tooth and nail.
Source: tatoeba (21179)
Fly
/flaɪ/
Synonyms for "fly" (399 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (80)
abscondabsquatulateadvanceaeroplaneairliftairplaneappliquearachnidarisearthropodascendaspirebaitball the jackballoonbarnstormbarrelbe airbornebe annihilatedbe consumed
Show 53 more words
be destroyedbe gonebe no morebe wiped outbearbeat a retreatbecome airbornebeetlebirdlimebolaboltboombowl alongbrandishbreakbreezebreeze alongbrushbucketbugbulletbunkbustlecareercarriagecarrycaterpillarceasecease to becease to existcentipedechilopodclaw skywardclear outclipcoastcobwebconductcontinuecontrolconveycopilotcruisecut alongcut and runcut outdaddy longlegsdancedartdashdecampdematerializedepart
Strong matches (120)
desertdiedie awaydie outdiplopoddisappeardispeldispersedissipatedissolvedo a fade-outdragnetdriftdrivedustdwindleelapseelopeeludeendure
Show 76 more words
erodeescapeevadeevanesceevaporateexitexpirefadefade awayfade outferryfishhookflapflashflauntfleefleetflickerflitflitterfloatflourishflowflow onflutterfly aloftfly lowfootfreightfugitategain altitudegarmentgill netglideglissadegogo awaygo awolgo bygo fastgo ongo up in smokeground baithangharvestmanhastenhexapodhidehighballhightailhookhophoverhurriednesshurryhustlehydroplaneice skateice-skateimbricationinsectjetjigjumpjump bailkitelaplapselariatlarvalassolastleaveleave no traceleave the groundleave the scene
Noun(15 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (199)
levantliftlimelugluremaggotmakemake knotsmake offmake tracksmanhandlemanipulatemeltmelt awaymelt like snowmeshesmillepedemillipedemitemount
Show 144 more words
navigatenetnipnoosenymphoutstrip the windoverlapoverlappingoverlayoverlayerpackpartspasspass awaypass bypass outpeel offpeltperishpeter outpilotplaneplugpoisepound netpour it onpress onproceedpurse seineraceretire from sightretreatripriserollroll onroller skateroller-skaterunrun alongrun awayrun away fromrun away withrun for itrun its courserun offrun onrun outrushsailsailplanescamperscapescootscorchscorpionscourscrewscudscurryseaplaneseineshakesharpshootshow the heelssideslipsinksink awaysizzleskateskateboardskedaddleskiskidskimskipskip outsledsleighslideslipslip the cableslithersmokesnaresnigglesoarsolospeedspiderspinnerspiralspirespringspringesquidstormstorm alongstreaksuffer an eclipsesweepswingtaketake flighttake french leavetake offtake the airtake to flighttake wingtarantulatatterteartear alongthunder alongticktoboggantoiltoilstotetransporttrawlturn tailundulatevanishvanish from sightvolplanewaftwagwastewaste awaywavewear awaywhishwhiskwhizwieldwigwagwingwithdrawwobblerzingzipzoom
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: flee, fly ball, abscond, abscond, absquatulate.
- Sentence evidence is available for fly, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, 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 "fly".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "fly"
Keep "fly" 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 "fly" 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 "fly", 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 "fly" 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
64 entriesShowing 16 of 64 words.
More specific
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
Collocations
17 entriesfly a kitefly a planefly ballfly carfly gearfly highfly outfitfly sneakersfly southfly swatterfly trickfly vibefruit flyhouseflypants zippertime flies
Showing 16 of 17 words.
Inflections
6 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
8 entriesSample sentences
87 total sentences available.
When you're enjoying yourself, the time seems to fly by.
Source: tatoeba (21297)
Some of the birds didn't fly.
Source: tatoeba (24670)
I saw something very bright fly across the night sky.
Source: tatoeba (25226)
Showing 4 of 87 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "fly"?
Closest matches include flee, fly ball, abscond, abscond, absquatulate.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "fly"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.