bolt

verb

Definition of boltnext
1
as in to fly
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to jump
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers

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3
as in to race
to proceed or move quickly the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to exclaim
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling bolted out the cuss word without thinking

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5
as in to inhale
to swallow or eat greedily the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bolt With third base open, Crews and Abrams bolted, and both slid in safely. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Sep. 2026 The deer that spreads the hairs on its tail is on alert but not quite ready to bolt. — Tom Carpenter, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026 Often, the technology arrives as a feature, such as a booking chatbot, a dynamic-pricing engine, or another tool bolted onto the existing structure. — Emma Clapp, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 Kiffin built Ole Miss into a national championship program, and then bolted before finishing the job. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolt
  1. fly
  2. jump
  3. race
  4. exclaim
  5. inhale
  6. flee
  7. startle
  8. speed
Verb
  • With his ring powered up, John flies over and drops off a bag of money as restitution to the waitress Maggie (Hannah Christine Shetler) who lost her family in the Manhunter attack.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The system is designed to provide short-range protection against drones, helicopters and low-flying aircraft, adding an air-defense layer alongside NMESIS’ anti-ship capability.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of fly
Verb
  • In some buildings using RealPage, rents jumped by as much as 33 percent in a single year — more than eight times the increase in a comparable building that didn’t use the software.
    — Lindsay Owens, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The injuries left her paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of jump
Verb
  • The bet runs against the massive investment pouring into AI infrastructure, as technology companies race to secure the computing power needed to develop and run increasingly advanced AI models.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Streets follows an East LA street racing crew thrust into a dangerous, high-stakes hunt across Southern California, where every turn presents a new clue and a potential disaster.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of race
Verb
  • Caitlin Clark exclaimed, pretty much the millisecond her coach finished.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Eloise Ibarra, 42, exclaimed as Pulido walked through the crowd at a high school football game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of exclaim
Verb
  • The poorer the air being inhaled by children in Hackney, the more regularly the dust was agitated and the thicker the storm and richer the color inside the box.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But some people abuse it by inhaling it to feel relaxed or euphoric.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of inhale
Verb
  • Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis descended from their northern stronghold, capturing Sanaa and forcing the government to flee into exile in Saudi Arabia.
    — AHMED AL-HAJ, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The victim reported that four teenagers stole their necklace and fled the scene, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of flee
Verb
  • To build a stealthy ocean-monitoring platform for the Office of Naval Research, Professor Shepherd needed a propulsion system that would not startle marine life.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of startle
Verb
  • Content creator Leah Victoria has turned the recipes she's known for online @leahscucina into a new cookbook full of recipes for busy parents, at-home cooks and anyone looking to speed up their dinner routine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Sometimes that’s true, especially now that AI can speed up prototyping and development.
    — Malte Kramer, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of speed

Phrases Containing bolt

Browse Nearby Words

bolsters
bolt
bolted
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Cite this Entry

“Bolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolt. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bolt

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bolt

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