fly

I

v

1. take wing, wing one's way, take off, take to the air, become airborne; soar, sail, zoom, cruise, coast, sweep, skim, Inf. kite; glide, plane, volplane, sailplane; dart, flit, flirt, hop, volitate.

2. float, hover, drift, hang, poise, float in the air; flutter, flicker, quiver, quaver; flap, wave, waver, undulate, toss, wag, wigwag.

3. aviate, jet, take or make a flight, be airborne, ride the skies or friendly skies; rocket, skyrocket.

4. dash, bolt, tear, tear along, bowl along, make time, cover ground, make strides or rapid strides; run, sprint, whiz, whisk; zip, career, rip, scour, scud, scorch, outstrip the wind, race like the wind, go or be off like a shot, Chiefly Brit. hare, Inf. clip, Inf. roar, Inf. barrel; hasten, make haste, race, speed, speed up, accelerate, hustle, hurry, post, hie, rush, move swiftly, move quickly; scamper, scurry, scoot, trip, skip.

5. flee, abscond, escape, take flight, take to flight, Sl. wing it, Inf. beat it, Inf. skip out, Inf. skedaddle, Sl. skidoodle, Sl. skidoo, Sl. vamoose; run, run away, run off, elope, take to one's heels, make a quick exit, Inf. clear out, Inf. cut out, Inf. cut and run, Inf. fly the coop, Sl. split, Sl. scram, Sl. blow, Sl. hightail it, Sl. lam or take it on the lam; retreat, withdraw, decamp, take oneself off, take French leave, quit the scene, make a getaway, beat a retreat, beat a hasty retreat, run for it, make a run for it, show the heels, show a clean or extra-light pair of heels, make a beeline for, Inf. take to the woods, Inf. head for the hills. See alsoflee(def.2).

6.(all of time) elapse, lapse, pass, pass by, pass swiftly, pass away, go by, move swiftly, slip, slide, glide; flow, advance, roll or press on; fade, melt, vanish, disappear, evaporate, go up in smoke; expire, run out, run its course.

7. pilot, control, be at the controls, fly left seat; copilot, fly right seat; solo, Inf. barnstorm; operate, drive, maneuver, manipulate.

8. hoist, hoist aloft, hoist up, raise, raise aloft, raise up, rear, rear up, lift, lift up, uplift, upraise, uprear, uphoist, Inf. sky.

9. transport, convey, send, dispatch; ship, freight, air-freight, express, air-express; post, mail, airmail.

10. elude, evade, escape, avoid, bilk, dodge, sidestep.

11. fly at or into

attack, assault, assail, strike, strike at, strike out at, hit, have at, have a go at, lay about at, lay into, light into, pitch into; attack suddenly, charge, rush, rush at, rush upon, fall upon, pounce upon, swoop down upon, descend on or upon.

12. fly in the face of

defy, flout, ignore, disregard, slight, treat with contempt, scoff at, thumb one's nose at; oppose, act in opposition to, go against; cross, contradict, contravene, controvert, counter, run counter to, go contrary to.

13. fly off the handle

Informal. lose one's temper, explode, fly into a passion or rage or temper, have a tantrum, Inf. blow up, Inf. blow one's top or stack, Inf. hit the ceiling, Sl. go nuts, Sl. blow a gasket or fuse, Sl. flip, Sl. flip out, Sl. flip one's wig or lid, Sl. have a hemorrhage; get excited, get into a dither or tizzy, lose one's composure, Sl. blow one's cool.

14. go fly a kite

Slang. split, scram, drag, beat it, get lost, take off, take a hike or walk, hit the road; buzz off, bug off, shove off, push off, go jump in a lake, drag your ass; mind your own business, keep your nose out of this, butt out, go peddle your fish.

15. let fly

a. hurl, propel, fling, throw, pitch, toss, heave, chuck, lob, cast, hurtle, Inf. peg; shoot, shoot off, fire, fire off, let off, launch.b.(all of emotions) erupt with, burst forth or out or into, break out into; let go with, hold nothing back, give free reign; emit, discharge, vent, give out or off, Fig. open the sluices or floodgates.

n

16. zipper, flap, lap, fly front.

17. tent fly, flap, lap, overlap, overlay, overlayer.

18. flying, volitation, Rare. volation; soaring, sailing, zooming, cruising; gliding, planing, volplaning, sailplaning; flight, trip, run, crossing, Inf. hop, Inf. jump.

19.Baseball. fly ball, pop fly, Texas leaguer, high fly, pop up.

20.Theat. flies, fly loft, fly gallery, fly floor, loft, gallery.

21. on the fly

a. during flight, in the air, before reaching or hitting ground, off the ground.b. hurriedly, in a hurry, hastily, with haste, with a rush, in a sweat; quickly, speedily, swiftly; on the run, on the move, on the go, on the wing, in motion, Inf. on the hop or jump.

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n

1. housefly, true fly; gadfly, horsefly, bluebottle.

2.Angling. spinner, wobbler, popper; lure, hook, fishhook; jig, squid, plug.

3. fly in the ointment

problem, snag, drawback, hitch, rub, Inf. catch; inconvenience, Inf. little problem, Inf. one small problem; flaw, kink, worm in the apple or rose, Sl. bummer.

4. no flies on

Slang. alert, sharp, smart, knowing, wide-awake, nimble-minded, Brit. Sl. fly; dry behind the ears, not born yesterday, Inf. nobody's fool, Inf. no fool, Inf. no dumbbell; Inf. with it, Inf. together, Inf. hip, Brit. Sl. suss.