head for

British  

verb

1. to go or cause to go (towards)

2. to be destined for

   to head for trouble

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head for Idioms  

1. Proceed or go in a certain direction, as in I'm heading for town, or I believe Karen and Jane are heading for a big quarrel. This expression, which uses head in the sense of “advance toward,” is occasionally amplified with a figurative destination, especially in the American West. For example, head for the hills means “to run away to high and safer ground” or “to flee from danger.” It is often used facetiously, as in Here comes that old bore—head for the hills! Head for the setting sun alludes to where a wanted man or outlaw went when a law-enforcement agent was close behind him, that is, farther west, and head for the last roundup means “to die.” [Early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

‘My Government Means to Kill Me,’ a hard-edged, cameo-filled novel of AIDS-riddled 1980s New York, has been ‘bubblng’ in Newson’s head for years.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Intel stock has rallied since the report, advancing another 20% on Friday to head for its own record closing high.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

If you decide to head for the exit and need to sell quickly, the last thing you want is to take a major loss on your investment.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Travel industry experts are warning over the availability of flights and holidays as those whose trips were cancelled due to the war scramble to rebook and those yet to book head for the same destinations.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

I was wolfing it down already, crazy to head for town.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• advance
• blow
• carry
• change
• climb
• cross
• drift
• drive
• flow
• fly
• go
• jump
• leave
• migrate
• proceed
• progress
• propel
• push
• relocate
• remove