hightail it

Idioms  

1. Go as fast as possible, especially in leaving; rush off. For example, With the police now searching for them, they hightailed it out of town, or When Jane remembered it was his birthday, she hightailed it to the bakery for a cake. This expression alludes to the raised tail of a rabbit or other animal that is fleeing. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hightail it

When Faye’s beloved college professor dies suddenly and she’s asked to speak at a memorial ceremony, nostalgia and flattery make her drop everything and hightail it back to the leafy northeastern college town.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Read on, study up, then hightail it to your nearest butcher.

From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2022

So, over the next 10 days, let’s dig deeper into each specific position — who’s expected to start, who’s pushing for playing time, and who may be tempted to hightail it to the transfer portal.

From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2021

“I feel hopeful but not necessarily optimistic,” said Kimmel, who planned to hightail it out of Washington after the show.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2017

“I think you better hightail it on down to Mr. Van Dyke’s office, Sonny,” he said.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam