Meanings
- IrelandUKidiomaticnot comparableIn a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.
It is 240 miles as the gull flies.
Synonyms: as the crow flies
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbIn a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.
Origin
From the fact that whilst gulls fly to their source of food, their flight bypasses obstacles like rivers and terrain. Compare beeline.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
as the gull flies. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20the%20gull%20flies
“as the gull flies.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20the%20gull%20flies. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “as the gull flies,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20the%20gull%20flies.
Source: as the gull flies on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.