take off

British  

verb

1. (tr) to remove or discard (a garment)

2. (intr) (of an aircraft) to become airborne

3. informal to set out or cause to set out on a journey

   they took off for Spain

4. (tr) (of a disease) to prove fatal to; kill

5. informal (tr) to mimic or imitate, esp in an amusing or satirical manner

6. informal (intr) to become successful or popular, esp suddenly

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noun

1. the act or process of making an aircraft airborne

2. the stage of a country's economic development when rapid and sustained economic growth is first achieved

3. informal an act of mimicry; imitation

take off Idioms  

1. Remove, as in Take off your coat and stay for a while , or I took my foot off the brake . [c. 1300]

2. Deduct, decrease, as in He took 20 percent off the original price , or I want you to trim my hair, but please don't take off too much . [c. 1700]

3. Carry or take away, as in The passengers were taken off one by one . [Late 1800s]

4. Also, take oneself off . Leave, go away, as in I'm taking off now , or We take ourselves off for China next month , or, as an imperative, Take yourself off right now! [First half of 1800s]

5. Move forward quickly, as in The dog took off after the car .

6. Become well known or popular, or achieve sudden growth, as in That actor's career has really taken off , or Sales took off around the holidays . [Mid-1900s]

7. Rise in flight, as in The airplane took off on time . [Mid-1800s]

8. Discontinue, as in The railroad took off the commuter special . [Mid-1700s]

9. Imitate humorously or satirically, as in He had a way of taking off the governor that made us howl with laughter . [Mid-1700s]

10. Withhold service, as in I'm taking off from work today because of the funeral . [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

take off

Then we take off our best two midfielders and leave an underperforming captain on the pitch.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Experts say wind is now set to take off, and point to Laos's 600-megawatt Monsoon Wind Power Project, which began operating in August 2025, as a bankable case study.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

You’re not allowed to take off your shoes, they make that very clear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

“Consumer agents seem to have been a bit slower to take off in the West,” McPadden said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

It made his head gritty and it didn’t take off all the purple.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Random Word

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Related Words

• blast off
• blow
• depart
• disappear
• get off
• get out
• go
• pull out
• soar
• withdraw

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