1
2
as in races
to proceed or move quickly
the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in retreats
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in exclaims
to utter with a sudden burst of strong feeling
bolted out the cuss word without thinking
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5
as in inhales
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
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Recent Examples of bolts
The canine then bolts across the field and is immediately chased by one horse, with about five more joining in moments later.
—
MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
Parsley is a biennial that quickly bolts and dies the second year, and since second-year parsley is bitter, it’s typically grown as an annual.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolts
Verb
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Boitano said Liu was exceptional in her early years, performing jumps no other skater could execute at the time.—
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Continue reading … DRAMATIC RESCUE – Viral video captures moments after mother jumps into water to save daughter.—
Verb
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Professional horseback riders run through a course made of snow while towing a skier or snowboarder who races the clock — all while staying upright and attached to the tow rope.—
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Holly races them out to the mine shaft, past the memory of the injured guy in the lab coat, but again, Henry follows.—
Verb
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Brunson retreats and ultimately turns the ball over on a pass to Miles McBride.—
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As Gustav aims to work his way back into their lives, Nora retreats into isolation as her mental health increasingly declines.—
Verb
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Derry exclaims while staring at a pile of dirty dishes and food debris on the floor.—
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Shayna McHayle’s Junglepussy exclaims at the beginning of the bank-robbery scene.—
Verb
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After the shooting, the SUV speeds into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.—
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This slows down the release of ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening.—
Verb
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So instead, to keep costs down and power up, the Starcloud satellite flies what is known as a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, circling the planet at a near vertical 83° angle that carries it over the poles and keeps it almost constantly exposed to the sun.—
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Across the canyon, flames leapt up the Paseo Miramar trail, still two miles away as the crow flies, but already too close to ignore.—
Verb
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Hilliker shouts as her family applauds them.—
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Eilish shouts from the open window.—
Verb
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Megan, who devours at least one hockey romance a week (and asked to be identified by only her first name), says that a series Bowen co-wrote with Elle Kennedy was her gateway into the genre.—
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Gratitude requires perspective, but perpetual outrage devours perspective.—
Cite this Entry
“Bolts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolts. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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