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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hightail (it)
Verb
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Mykola, who fled the war in Ukraine in 2024, was a practicing doctor in Kyiv.—
Aditi Sangal,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025 -
The United Nations' migration agency said 2,500 to 3,000 people had fled El Fasher since Sunday.—
NPR,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the example below from their 2-1 win over Girona, Barcelona man-mark the opposition midfielders but Fermin Lopez’s passive positioning allows a pass into retreating centre-forward Portu.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Teddy demands that Michelle take him and Don to her Andromedan leader in the hope of forcing the invaders to retreat.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Alaska is the fifth largest US airline and flies 44 million passengers each year to 120 destinations in five countries, accoring to its website.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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As a defender in the English Premier League for 12 years, Higginbotham rarely had to fly.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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San Juan Hills bolted to a 6-0 lead in the third set and, with Hodges scoring on kills and blocks, went on to its 25-11 win to go ahead in sets 2-1.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
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Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston recently predicted Bregman would betray the Red Sox and bolt for a deal with the Detroit Tigers this winter.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That cost-cutting measure, which is common in other long-running shows, continued for the drama's 2025-26 season.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after the Canadian province of Ontario began running a television advertisement in the United States featuring a speech from former President Ronald Reagan.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Epstein story is all about people who are sufficiently rich or entitled escaping the full consequences of their actions, something that is still happening here.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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Seven years after disappearing from his California home in 1972, 14-year-old Steven Stayner escaped his kidnapper, Kenneth Parnell, and returned to his family in 1980.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the below example, against Real Oviedo’s zonal scheme protecting the six-yard box, three players run away from goal and one to the near-post to attack Marcus Rashford’s outswinger, resulting in Araujo scoring.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Most of us are socialized not just to suck it up, never to cry or show emotions, but also to suppress, go silent, hide, run away, act as if there is no agony.—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At 25, when half her friends ran off to marry well and the other half were hell-bent on climbing the corporate ladder, Bizu found herself in the middle, unsure whether to pursue a boyfriend or a business plan.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
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Birdie runs First-round leader Steven Alker ran off six consecutive birdies on the back nine Friday which jettisoned him up the leaderboard to a tournament-record 61.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hightail (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightail%20%28it%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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