as in to flee
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
when a fight broke out, we hightailed it out of the bar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hightail (it)
Verb
-
In July 1987, flooding on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County forced hundreds of people to flee the area.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025 -
Some thought the noises were gunfire, which prompted large groups to flee the park.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
And in this story, Superman retreats from the world after being rejected by the public for adhering to an older moral code.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 July 2025
-
The nonsectarian center hosts retreats that range from 3 to 13 nights, for a wide variety of experience levels, with a central focus on Theravadin teachings and bodhicitta (striving to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings).—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Passengers flying in the United States at certain airports are no longer required to take off their shoes when going through security lines, according to news outlets including CBS News and The New York Times on Monday.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
After his strike flew past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese, Jimenez briefly celebrated with his teammates before sitting on the turf at NRG Stadium, pulling out a Mexico jersey with Jota’s name and number (#20), and mimicking playing a video game.—
Martin Rogers,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
On breaks, journalists would sometimes bolt out of the courthouse, furiously typing or relaying notes to editors over the phone in an attempt to be the first to file breaking news.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
9 July 2025
-
The Doberman had apparently bolted during the night and sought refuge in the stranger's yard.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Trump has set a July 9 deadline for imposing reciprocal tariffs, but trade talks have run into obstacles including discussions over duties on farm goods, steel and car parts.—
Jennifer Cunningham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
The company has applied for permission from the US Food and Drug Administration to run a phase II trial.—
Rachel Fieldhouse,
Scientific American,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Jeremiah Estrada promptly struck out Eugenio Suarez to escape that jam, and Adrián Morejón left the bases loaded the next inning with a strikeout of Marte.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
When Huang was nine-years-old, his parents sent him and his older brother to the U.S. to escape widespread social unrest in Thailand.—
Matt Durot,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
The lucky person could decide to split or run away with the money.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
-
The police chased after the teen who appeared be running away with several others.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The gunman who mistakenly shot her ran off and is being sought.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
-
Trees and shrubs enable water to be stored in soil, instead of rapidly running off and floods.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Hightail (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightail%20%28it%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share