hightails (it)

verb

present tense third-person singular of hightail (it)
as in flees
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 hightails (it)
  1. flees
  2. retreats
  3. flies
  4. bolts
  5. runs
  6. runs away
  7. runs off
  8. escapes
Verb
  • At the end of the 2001 film, Rodriguez’s Letty flees the country.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Holden eagerly rebels against Pencey Prep, gets the boot, and flees to New York City, a place with its own vices and hazards, but without the sort of propaganda and pretense that obscure the school’s dark underside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of flees
Verb
  • Twice a day, the tide retreats from the shoreline, sometimes for up to two miles.
    — Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • As his mind retreats to the hues of old movies, Charlotte breaks the fog with a glimmer of humanity.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreats
Verb
  • This essential oil contains high concentrations of menthol, which produces a powerful scent that flies dislike.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The few times White Sox batters made solid contact — flies to the warning track or infielder liners — his fielders were in position.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of flies
Verb
  • Gravis Robotics sells the Gravis Rack, a control kit that bolts onto equipment already sitting on a jobsite.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This episode, Zack wakes up and bolts upright with the bandage still on his head from getting clobbered with a sign on his birthday and can’t remember what happened the night before.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 July 2026
Definition of bolts
Verb
  • The center runs 24 hours a day for 362 days each year, allowing United to cycle pilots through training without slowing its broader flight operations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Both schools also made deep postseason runs thanks, in part, to their ground attacks.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of runs
Verb
  • And when the guy is maybe 20 meters away, the cameraman packs up the camera and runs away.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026
  • The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis.
    — Hillel Italie, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Definition of runs away
Verb
  • Seattle never trailed in this one, scoring seven runs off Dustin May (6-8) in the first two innings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • When the cashier opens the register, the suspect pulls out a knife, reaches over the counter, grabs the cash, and runs off.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of runs off
Verb
  • This sleek wrap dress and skort is great for hot-weather escapes.
    — Mariette Williams, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Facilities must notify the state of significant incidents — including serious injuries to youth, escapes or restraint use — within 24 hours.
    — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of escapes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hightail (it)
hightails (it)
high-tech
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hightails (it).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hightails%20%28it%29. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All