fly by
B1 neutral intransitive
In simple words
Go past very fast, or pass so quickly you barely notice.
Literal meaning: To fly past a point — quite transparent when used of aircraft.
Meanings
1 A2
idiomatic
neutral
Of time, to pass very quickly, especially in a way that surprises you.
"The summer holidays flew by — I can't believe school starts again tomorrow."
"The years just fly by."
— Common idiomatic expression, widely used in everyday speech
2 B1 neutral
Of a vehicle or aircraft, to pass a point very rapidly.
"A fighter jet flew by so low that all the car alarms in the street went off."
Usage notes
Most commonly used for time ('the years flew by') to express that a period passed more quickly than expected. Also used literally for aircraft, vehicles, or anything moving rapidly past a point. Informal and conversational, but also appears in writing.
Commonly used with
time years weeks summer days aircraft car
Forms
Base
fly by
I/you/we/they
3rd person
flies by
he/she/it
Past simple
flew by
yesterday
Past participle
flown by
have + pp
-ing form
flying by
continuous
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