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Synonyms

take flight

Idioms  

  1. Also, take wing. Run away, flee, go away, as in When the militia arrived, the demonstrators took flight, or The tenant took wing before paying the rent. The first idiom derives from the earlier take one's flight, dating from the late 1300s, and was first recorded in 1435. The variant was first recorded in 1704.

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.

Four astronauts -- three Americans and one Canadian -- will take flight in this major mission.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Let’s see how those ratings hold up, if Beta shares take flight.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

When they did take flight, their attacks were brief -- most lasted under three minutes, and the average hunting flight just eight seconds.

From Science Daily • Nov. 1, 2025

In one corner the lanky, headless skeleton of a Quetzalcoatl appears ready to take flight.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2024

Rue poised on her toes, arms slightly extended, like a bird about to take flight.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.