Words / B2

SOR/sɔː/

To soar is to rise quickly — of prices, numbers, or a bird or aircraft: rents soared; soar above. Rise is everyday; rocket is more informal and sudden. Rents soared after the mill closed. Mix-up: sore means painful; saw is a tool or past of see. Do not write soar for a 0.1% tick.

Meaning

To rise quickly, of prices, numbers, or a bird or aircraft.

Examples

• “Rents soared after the mill closed, the housing case study showed.”
• “Gulls soared over the cliffs, which is the flight sense.”

Good to know

soar to / by + amount; prices / numbers soar. Everyday: rise. Trap: sore / saw. Economics, news, and geography. Rapid rise or high flight.

Near in meaning

rise

New