1 A2 neutral
To move suddenly or rapidly upward into the air.
"The startled pigeons flew up from the square in a great noisy cloud."
fly up
B1 neutral intransitive
To move rapidly upward through the air; or to travel by air to a place.
In plain English
Go up quickly into the air; or travel by plane to a place (usually northward or to a higher place).
What does "fly up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To travel by aircraft to a destination that is north or at a higher elevation.
"We decided to fly up to Edinburgh for the festival rather than take the train."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move upward through the air by flying — fully transparent.
Actually means
Go up quickly into the air; or travel by plane to a place (usually northward or to a higher place).
Usage tip
Used literally for birds, objects, or anything rising into the air suddenly. Also used for travelling by air to a destination that is geographically north or at a higher altitude ('fly up to Scotland'). Occasionally used figuratively for prices or statistics rising sharply.
Words that pair with "fly up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
north Scotland Canada price cost bird kite
How to conjugate "fly up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fly up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
flies up
he/she/it
Past simple
flew up
yesterday
Past participle
flown up
have + pp
-ing form
flying up
continuous
Hear "fly up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fly up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.