bolting

IPA/bəʊlt/
KK[bˈoltɪŋ]IPA/boʊlt/

bolting — verb

  • boltingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • boltings3rd person singular
  • boltinging-ing form
  • boltingedpast simple

1. running away at great speed after fear or surprise suddenly takes over

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

running away at great speed after fear or surprise suddenly takes over

Example

The horse bolted from the stable when thunder shook the roof.

bolt from + place after a fright

Greta bolted across the station after smelling smoke near the ticket gates.

Common collocations
  • bolt from the stable
  • bolt for the door
  • bolt out of bed
  • bolt across the yard
Synonyms
  • dash

    stresses sudden speed, but not always fear

  • flee

    more formal and strongly focused on escape from danger

  • run off

    more conversational and less dramatic

Antonyms
  • stay

    remain where you are instead of rushing away

  • freeze

    show fear by becoming unable to move

Grammar Patterns

bolt from + place

bolt for + exit

bolt out of + bed/room/building

Usage Note

Often used for animals or frightened people who suddenly break control and rush away. Common prepositions are 'from', 'for', and 'out of'.

Common Mistakes

The horse bolted to fear.
The horse bolted in fear.
Use 'in fear' or a because-clause, not 'to fear'.

2. eating very quickly, with little chewing, because you are in a hurry or too eage

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

eating very quickly, with little chewing, because you are in a hurry or too eager to wait

Example

Kabir bolted his noodles before the train reached the next stop.

bolt + food

The children bolted down their sandwiches and ran back to the field.

bolt down + food

Common collocations
  • bolt breakfast
  • bolt your lunch
  • bolt down a sandwich
  • bolt dinner
Synonyms
  • gulp down

    focuses on swallowing quickly

  • wolf down

    strongly informal and often suggests greediness

  • gobble

    common for eating too quickly, especially with children

Antonyms
  • nibble

    eat slowly in very small bites

  • savour

    eat slowly in order to enjoy the taste

Grammar Patterns

bolt + meal/food

bolt down + meal/food

Usage Note

Usually used with food words such as lunch, dinner, or sandwich. It often suggests bad manners or not chewing properly, not just speed.

Common Mistakes

She bolted the soup slowly.
She bolted the soup in a few gulps.
This verb implies very fast eating, not slow eating.

3. securing a door, gate, or window by pushing the crossbar into place

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

securing a door, gate, or window by pushing the crossbar into place

Example

Before bed, Hoa bolted the back door and checked the kitchen window.

bolt + door/window/gate

The shop owner bolted the gate as the crowd moved closer.

Common collocations
  • bolt the door
  • bolt the gate
  • bolt the window
  • run back to bolt the shed
Synonyms
  • bar

    close in meaning when a bar is placed across an entrance

  • lock

    broader term that does not specifically mention a sliding bar

  • secure

    more general and can refer to many kinds of protection

Antonyms
  • unbolt

    remove the bar so the entrance can open

  • open

    leave the entrance unfastened

Grammar Patterns

bolt + door/gate/window

bolt + building entrance

Usage Note

The object is usually a door, gate, or window that already has a sliding bar. Distinguish from sense 4, which is about joining things with hardware.

Common Mistakes

Please bolt on the door.
Please bolt the door.
This sense takes the door directly as its object.

4. holding something firmly in place by joining it with metal bolts

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

holding something firmly in place by joining it with metal bolts

Example

The workers bolted the steel frame to the concrete floor.

bolt + object + to + surface

Camila held the shelf steady while her father bolted it to the wall.

Common collocations
  • bolt the frame to the floor
  • bolt the shelf to the wall
  • bolt seats into the ferry
  • bolt the plate onto the machine
Synonyms
  • fasten

    general verb for joining things securely

  • secure

    focuses on making something stable or safe

  • mount

    often used when fitting equipment onto a surface

Antonyms
  • unbolt

    remove the bolts that hold something in place

  • loosen

    make the fixed part less tight or stable

Grammar Patterns

bolt + object + to/onto + surface

bolt + object + into + frame/base

Usage Note

Usually used for construction, vehicles, or machinery where one solid part is attached to another. Unlike sense 3, the focus is on hardware fixing rather than locking an entrance.

Common Mistakes

They bolted the sign on the wall with glue.
They bolted the sign to the wall with metal bolts.
This sense needs actual bolt fasteners, not glue.

bolting — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For verb sense 1, bolting suggests a sudden, almost uncontrolled movement away from something frightening or alarming. Dash also stresses speed, but a person can dash for a bus or dash across a road without fear. Rush is broader still and often just means doing something quickly. Flee is closer to bolting because danger is central, but it sounds more formal and deliberate. Run off is everyday and can fit people or animals, though it usually feels less dramatic than bolt. A horse can bolt when thunder starts; a shopper might dash for the last train; a family might flee a fire; a child might run off during a picnic.

dash ↗rush ↗flee ↗run off ↗

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Bolting is the regular -ing form of bolt. In English, bolt has long carried two main ideas: sudden movement away, and fastening something with a bar or metal pin. Later technical uses grew from the fastening sense, while everyday uses such as a horse bolting kept the sudden-movement sense alive.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b Verb (1)