fly out of the traps
to start quickly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The team flew out of the traps at the start of the game.”
“She flew out of the traps when the project began, finishing her first report in just two hours.”
“The young athlete flew out of the traps, immediately establishing a commanding lead that left the rest of the competitors struggling to catch up.”
The idiom refers to the start of a greyhound race, where the dogs are released from a row of enclosed starting stalls known as traps. The mechanism allows for a simultaneous opening of the gates, ensuring the animals depart at a sudden, high velocity.
- 01
fall into a trap
To make a mistake, a bad decision or act senselessly and get into an extremely difficult situation.
- 02
fly blind
To do by guesswork; to feel one's way.
- 03
fly by
To pass or go past quickly, often without much interaction
- 04
fly by the seat of one's pants
To pilot an aircraft without the aid of instruments and without a flight plan, using only instinct, visual observation, and practical judgment.
- 05
fly in the face of
To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.
- 06
fly in the ointment
Something (especially a minor thing) which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant; a nuisance or problem; a disagreeable or unpleasant detail.
- 07
fly low
To have one's fly (zipper) undone.
- 08
fly off
To flee rapidly; to run away.
Last updated August 10, 2026