Phrasal verb
fly about
Definition
phrasal verb. to move quickly and busily from place to place, or to spread quickly like news or rumors.
phrasal verb. to move in a hurried or erratic manner across a wide area; also used figuratively to describe the rapid dissemination of information or accusations.
Examples
“Rumors are starting to fly about the office.”
“He spent the whole morning flying about the city trying to finish his errands before the shops closed.”
“Accusations of corruption began to fly about as soon as the investigative report was leaked to the national press.”
Examples
simple
“Rumors are starting to fly about the office.”
contextual
“He spent the whole morning flying about the city trying to finish his errands before the shops closed.”
complex
“Accusations of corruption began to fly about as soon as the investigative report was leaked to the national press.”
Usage
often used with plural subjects like 'rumors', 'insults', or 'accusations'.
Teaching tip
contrast the literal sense of physical movement with the figurative sense of information spreading; 'fly around' is a common and interchangeable variant.
Pitfall
The news fly about quickly.
The news flies about quickly.
remember to conjugate the verb 'fly' to match the subject; 'news' is an uncountable singular noun.
Phrasal verb
Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fly + about
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fly-about