variants or less commonly flyer
Synonyms of fliernext
1
: one that flies
She's a frequent flier on that airline.
specifically : airman
He was a flier on an aircraft carrier.
2
: a reckless or speculative venture
usually used in the phrase take a flier
He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.
3
usually flyer : an advertising circular
Flyers announcing the concert were distributed throughout the city.

Examples of flier in a Sentence

These birds are graceful fliers. They distributed flyers announcing the concert throughout the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Akiyama was the 239th person to orbit Earth and 246th to cross the boundary into space (including suborbital fliers), according to the Registry of Space Travelers by the Association of Space Explorers. Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 Mercury takes over for Venus after the 10th, which makes the rest of September a more active time for racking up frequent flier miles, engaging in intellectual debates, and putting those language classes to use. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 Ahead, shop the 15 best Brooks shoes currently on sale, all highly-rated by nurses, frequent fliers, and people who clock thousands of steps a day; prices start at just $65. Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026 Kadel always had her head bent over her work, page after page of detailed line drawings that later appeared on friends’ bedroom and living room walls and sometimes on fliers for shows at Spaceland or the Silverlake Lounge. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flier

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flier was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flier. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

flier

noun
fli·​er
variants also flyer
ˈflī(-ə)r
1
: one that flies
especially : pilot entry 1 sense 3
2
: an undertaking (as in business) that involves much risk
3
: an advertising circular
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster