MEANING
To move away suddenly and very quickly, often from fear or an urgent desire to escape.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- bolt for the door
- bolt at a sound
- a horse bolts
On the page
The horse bolted when the tarpaulin snapped.
He bolted for the stairs as smoke poured under the door.
She nearly bolted at the sight of the uniform, then recognized the officer.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- bolt / bolts
- Past tense
- bolted
- Past participle
- bolted
- Present participle
- bolting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- bolt / bolts
- Present continuous
- am/is/are bolting
- Present perfect
- have/has bolted
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been bolting
- Past
- bolted
- Past continuous
- was/were bolting
- Past perfect
- had bolted
- Past perfect continuous
- had been bolting
- Future
- will bolt / bolts
- Future continuous
- will be bolting
- Future perfect
- will have bolted
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been bolting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Emphasizes the abrupt start; fleeing need not begin explosively. Other senses include fastening a bolt or swallowing food quickly. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): bolt, bolts, bolted, bolted, bolting.
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