fly out

1. To leave for a particular destination on an airplane. I'm flying out to Dallas on Monday morning, and I'll be home Thursday night. Believe me, I wouldn't be flying out to rural Ohio if I didn't have to go for work. Are you flying out to your parents' house for the holidays?

2. To leave a particular place or thing by flying, as of a bird. All of the birds flew out of the tree when they heard us coming. Don't panic, but a bug just flew out of your hair! Several birds flew out of the bush when the kids' ball bounced into it.

3. To travel from a particular city or airport, as of an airline. But I don't think that airline flies out of Dulles, so we'll have to pick another one. That airline does fly out of Chicago, but only from Midway, not O'Hare. A: "Is anyone flying out of Pittsburgh tonight?" B: "In this snow storm? I doubt it."

4. To depart from some place or thing hastily. We flew out of the restaurant at the sound of the fire alarm. Man, looks like the criminals already flew out of their hideaway. Someone must have tipped them off that we were coming. I flew out of the garden when I noticed the very active beehive over my head.

5. To arrange for someone to fly to a particular destination. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "fly" and "out." I'm going to fly your sister out for her birthday—I think she really needs some time with us here in the sun. It doesn't matter if you pay to fly her out, she still won't come—she's convinced she's going to die in a plane crash. My parents very kindly flew me out for the holidays.

6. In baseball, to hit a fly ball that is caught by an opposing player (and thus be called "out"). In this usage, the past tense of "fly" is "flied." Ugh, our best hitter just flied out. Man, I thought Steph's hit could go out of the park—instead, she just flied out. Does everyone on this team have to swing for the fences and fly out? Try something different—lay down a bunt, get a walk, something!

fly out

(of something)

1. Lit. to leave a place by air. We are going to fly out of Manaus on a charter. We flew out on time.

2. Fig. to leave a place quickly. We flew out of there as fast as we could, She opened the door and flew out.

fly out

1. To move through the air, leaving some location: The birds flew out of their nest. Yesterday we flew out of London and arrived in New York. The pilot flew the soldiers out quickly.

2. To operate aircraft using some place as a central landing area: This new airline flies out of Boston and already has 20 destination cities.

3. Baseball To be called out by hitting a fly ball that is caught by the other team: The batter swung at the first pitch and flied out.