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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pull up stakes

Yet as Polestar prepares to exit from the U.S. market, it may contend with state laws that often require automakers to compensate dealers when they pull up stakes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Seeing a big brand like Nike pull up stakes, he says, “makes you wonder, what’s next?”

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 20, 2023

“It might be an inconvenience for a few days of the year, but not enough to pull up stakes and leave.”

From Washington Post ● Jan. 25, 2021

Smaller markets like Nashville are well positioned for companies wishing to pull up stakes from major metropolitan areas with higher density and costs, Mr. Alam said.

From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2020

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