flew

A bird flew from its nest to a nearby branch.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense of ):
   • Moved through the air: "flew" describes the action of moving through the air using wings or an aircraft.

     • The bird flew across the sky. (The bird moved through the air from one side to the other.)
   • Traveled by aircraft: "flew" can mean to travel in an airplane.

     • She flew to Paris for a meeting. (She traveled to Paris by airplane.)
   • Moved quickly: "flew" can also mean to move or pass very rapidly.

     • Time flew during the party. (Time passed very quickly during the event.)

Usage Examples

• As a past tense verb:
  • The butterfly flew from flower to flower. (The butterfly moved through the air between flowers.)
  • He flew a kite on the beach. (He controlled a kite that moved through the air.)
  • The news flew around the office. (The news spread very quickly throughout the office.)

Advanced Usage

• "flew into a rage": suddenly became very angry.
  • When he heard the news, he flew into a rage. (He suddenly became extremely angry.)
• "flew off the handle": lost control of one's temper (informal).
  • She flew off the handle when she saw the broken vase. (She became very angry and lost her temper.)
• "flew by the seat of his pants": acted based on instinct rather than a plan.
  • The pilot flew by the seat of his pants during the emergency. (The pilot relied on instinct and experience rather than instruments.)

Variants and Related Words

• Fly (verb, present tense): to move through the air.
  • Birds fly south for the winter. (Birds travel through the air to warmer regions.)
• Flown (past participle of ): used with auxiliary verbs.
  • The plane has flown over the ocean. (The plane has completed a journey over the ocean.)
• Flight (noun): the act or process of flying.
  • The flight from London to New York takes seven hours. (The journey by plane takes seven hours.)

Synonyms

• Soared: rose or moved high in the air.
  • The eagle soared above the mountains. (The eagle flew high and gracefully.)
• Glided: moved smoothly and continuously through the air.
  • The paper airplane glided across the room. (It moved smoothly without flapping.)
• Raced: moved at great speed.
  • The car raced down the highway. (The car moved very quickly.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Flew away: left a place by flying.
  • The bird flew away when it saw the cat. (The bird departed by flying.)
• Flew in: arrived by aircraft.
  • The delegation flew in for the conference. (The delegation arrived by airplane.)
• Flew out: departed by aircraft.
  • She flew out of the city early this morning. (She left the city by airplane.)

Related Idioms

• Flew the coop: escaped or left a place quickly (informal).
  • The prisoners flew the coop during the night. (The prisoners escaped from the prison.)
• Flew in the face of: openly defied or opposed.
  • His actions flew in the face of all rules. (His actions directly challenged the rules.)
• Flew under the radar: acted without attracting attention.
  • The spy flew under the radar for years. (The spy operated secretly without being noticed.)