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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The cruel politics of South Carolina lawmakers are harming families and destroying a health care system as more and more providers flee the state.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025 -
In the past, a similar violation might have led to a fine. Petrova, a top-tier researcher, fled Russia after protesting Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine and had been working in a Harvard Medical School lab for two years.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
Verb
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After the trial ended, in which Heard was originally ordered to pay Depp $15 million, the actress largely retreated from the public eye, moving away from her home in California to Spain with her daughter, Oonagh, in search of privacy.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
12 May 2025
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The Continental Army retreated from Montreal and its environs in June 1776, after British reinforcements from the north began recapturing the province.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Books about fictional weddings fly off the shelves of bookstores, too.—
Lian Dolan,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Washington left the event shortly after the screening began, having flown to France for the festival on his sole day off, portraying the titular role in Broadway's latest production of Othello.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Unlike the Eastern Seaboard, where turbines can be bolted into the seabed, the continental shelf off the coast in the Pacific plunges steeply.—
Rob Nikolewski,
Mercury News,
8 May 2025
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Harris, a five-star, left Texas A&M for LSU in December 2022 and then bolted Baton Rouge for UTSA a year later.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
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In an administration currently running the lowest early-months public opinion rating in modern history, however, Vance’s forcefulness carries long-term risk.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
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Finally, the Liberty got to enjoy the final piece of last year’s thrilling WNBA Finals run by watching the elusive title banner rise up to the rafters before Saturday’s 92-78 season-opening win against the Las Vegas Aces.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
18 May 2025
Verb
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Found also faced a new story paradigm in Season 2 as one of the key elements of its premise changed with Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) escaping from Gabi’s (Hampton) basement in the Season 1 finale.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
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Wainwright, who had escaped from a North Carolina prison days before killing 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on June 10 at Florida State Prison.—
Jim Saunders,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2025
Verb
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The documentary also reveals the story of Alison Chambers, who had run away from home.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
14 May 2025
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The group then moves up toward Union Avenue when the first male begins running toward the person who had punched him … when an unintended target is struck, and [the teen girl] immediately falls to the ground with a gunshot wound to the head as the other children run away for their lives.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2025
Verb
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The Dodgers went into the Wrigley Field crowd after a fan ran off with Chad Kreuter’s cap in the ninth inning of a 6-5 victory.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
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The demonstrator, who had a slim build and was clad all in black, ran off.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
16 May 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 24 May. 2025.
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