flyverb
uk/flaɪ/us/flaɪ/flew, flownfly verb (TRAVEL)
A2 [ I ] When a bird, insect, or aircraft flies, it moves through the air:
A1 [ I or T ] to travel by aircraft, or to go somewhere or cross something in an aircraft:
[ T ] to use a particular company to travel by aircraft:
C2 [ T ] to transport people or goods by aircraft:
B2 [ I or T ] to control an aircraft:
More examples
- Many kinds of birds fly south at the approach of winter.
- We watched a flock of birds fly over the field.
- We are currently flying at an altitude of 15,000 metres.
- Concorde flew much higher than most planes.
- A swarm of bees flew into the garden.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Movement through the air
- airborne
- buzz
- flit
- float
- flown
- hover
- levitate
- lift
- skim
- skip
- soar
- swish
- swishy
- swoop
- track
- waft
- wheel
- wing
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
fly verb (MOVE QUICKLY)
[ I ] to move or go quickly:
More examples
- The dog fairly flew out of the door to greet him.
- The side door of the pub flew open and three men burst in.
- She flew past the other runners on the final lap.
- A police car went flying past in the opposite direction.
- She would have flown into a rage if I had told her about the incident.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Moving quickly
- beetle
- belt
- bob
- bowl
- bowl down/along sth
- careen
- career
- gallop
- leg
- make off
- outran
- pelt
- rush
- scamper
- scoot
- scrabble
- scramble
- shoot
- stampede
- trot
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fly verb (WAVE)
[ I or T ] to wave or move about in the air while being fixed at one end:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Shaking, swinging and vibrating
- agitate
- brandish
- churn
- flourish
- fluff sth up
- jitter
- joggle
- resonate
- reverberate
- rocky
- shake
- stir
- stir sth up
- swing
- teeter
- throb
- totter
- tremble
- tremulous
- wag
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fly verb (SPREAD)
[ I ] mainly US If rumours, accusations, etc. fly, they are passed quickly from one person to another and cause excitement:
Idiom(s)
Phrasal verb(s)
flynoun [ C ]
uk/flaɪ/us/flaɪ/fly noun [ C ] (INSECT)
B1 a small insect with two wings
Examples
- The lizard flicked out its tongue at a fly.
- I swatted the fly with a rolled-up newspaper.
- The horses swished their tails to get rid of the flies hovering around them.
- The dead sheep was covered with swarms of flies.
- The spider preys on small flies and other insects.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Insect names
- anopheles
- ant
- aphid
- beastie
- bedbug
- creepy-crawly
- daddy longlegs
- deathwatch beetle
- dragonfly
- earwig
- housefly
- insect
- ladybird
- lice
- lightning bug
- red admiral
- silverfish
- stick insect
- termite
- tortoiseshell butterfly
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fly noun [ C ] (TROUSERS)
UK also flies the opening at the front of a pair of trousers:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fasteners for clothes
- belt
- buckle
- button
- button fly
- button-through
- clasp
- cufflink
- fastener
- flies
- hook and eye
- lace
- lace sth up
- popper
- snap
- stud
- suspender
- Velcro
- zip
- zip sth/sb up
- zipper
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fly noun [ C ] (FISHING)
a hook (= curved piece of wire) with coloured threads fastened to it, attached to the end of a fishing line to attract fish
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Hunting & fishing
- angler
- angling
- bait
- beater
- big game
- gun dog
- hare coursing
- harpoon
- hunt
- hunt saboteur
- pointer
- reel
- shooter
- sinker
- smoke
- smoke sb/sth out
- snare
- spoor
- trap
- troll
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fly noun [ C ] (TENT)
UK also flysheet an extra sheet of canvas (= strong cloth) stretched over the outside of a tent to keep the rain out
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Camping
- backpacker
- billy
- bivvy
- bivvy sack
- camp
- campfire
- campground
- camping
- canvas
- caravan park
- cot
- flysheet
- glamping
- groundcloth
- groundsheet
- lean-to
- peg
- peg sth out
- pitch
- trailer park
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