Phrasal verb
fly by
Definition
phrasal verb. You use this when time seems to pass much faster than usual. It describes how hours, days, or years feel like they are moving very quickly.
phrasal verb. To pass rapidly or appear to pass at an accelerated rate. The verb is intransitive and typically takes a temporal noun or an event as its subject.
Examples
“The summer holidays always fly by so fast.”
“I can't believe it is already December; this whole year has just flown by.”
“In the frantic environment of the trading floor, hours fly by unnoticed as brokers scramble to execute orders before the closing bell.”
Examples
simple
“The summer holidays always fly by so fast.”
contextual
“I can't believe it is already December; this whole year has just flown by.”
complex
“In the frantic environment of the trading floor, hours fly by unnoticed as brokers scramble to execute orders before the closing bell.”
Usage
This phrase is almost always used with time-related subjects like 'weeks' or 'the holidays'.
Teaching tip
Contrast with 'drag', which is used when time feels very slow, to help students express the subjective nature of time.
Pitfall
I flew by the weekend.
The weekend flew by.
The phrase is intransitive, so the time period must be the subject, not the object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
by
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fly + by
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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