Phrasal verb
fly into
Definition
phrasal verb. to suddenly become very angry or enter a strong emotional state.
phrasal verb. to enter a specified state or emotion suddenly and with intensity; typically used with nouns like 'rage', 'passion', or 'panic'.
Examples
“He will fly into a rage if you touch his car.”
“The manager flew into a panic when he realized the important files were missing from the server.”
“Upon hearing the news of the betrayal, the king flew into a towering passion, ordering the immediate arrest of his advisors.”
Examples
simple
“He will fly into a rage if you touch his car.”
contextual
“The manager flew into a panic when he realized the important files were missing from the server.”
complex
“Upon hearing the news of the betrayal, the king flew into a towering passion, ordering the immediate arrest of his advisors.”
Usage
almost always followed by a noun representing a strong negative emotion like 'rage', 'temper', or 'panic'.
Teaching tip
this is a metaphorical extension of physical movement; focus on the speed and lack of control implied by 'fly' to help students remember the intensity.
Pitfall
She flew into angry.
She flew into a rage.
the phrase must be followed by a noun or noun phrase, not an adjective.
Phrasal verb
Particles
into
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fly + into + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fly-into