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Synonyms

pull up stakes

Idioms  
  1. Move away, leave one's home, job, or country. For example, We've lived here for years, but now it's time to pull up stakes. This expression alludes to the stakes that mark property boundaries. [Early 1800s]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Or will the companies at the vanguard of American reindustrialization pull up stakes and move to states that welcome entrepreneurs?

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 10, 2026

About a month ago, Holzer decided to pull up stakes and move back to Billings, Mont., where he lived before moving to Seattle as a child.

From Seattle Times Jun. 23, 2023

Saeedullah, 45, did not fully pull up stakes when he returned to Afghanistan.

From New York Times Jan. 13, 2022

If you decide to pull up stakes and relocate to Southern California so your child can pursue more gigs in Hollywood, Smith said, that’s your decision and you need to own it.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 18, 2021

Back in my troupe, my father occasionally made us pull up stakes and leave a town despite the fact that we were welcome and the crowds were generous.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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