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

In most cases, drivers might hightail it out of there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024

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

From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2022

Pro tip: Come at 4 p.m. when doors open before all the downtown shoppers and the pre- and post-dinner crowd hightail it to this bar.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 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