turn tail

Idioms  

1. Run away, as in When they heard the sirens, the boys turned tail. This term alludes to an animal's turning its back in flight. [Mid-1500s]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turn tail

"The alien's would turn tail and head back to Mars."

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Some people turn tail when they learn their potential romantic partner has a cat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

The backlash became so intense that even Mr. Musk’s most strident supporters seemed to turn tail.

From New York Times ● Dec. 18, 2022

“Even when you got some animals successfully into deeper waters, it’s not uncommon for them to turn tail and come straight back in,” said Karen Stockin, a professor and marine mammal scientist.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 22, 2022

They’d worked too hard to get a lead on Mr. Flux to simply turn tail.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---