take to
Britishverb
-
to make for; flee to
to take to the hills
-
to form a liking for, esp after a short acquaintance
I took to him straightaway
-
to have recourse to
to take to the bottle
-
to regard seriously
-
Have recourse to, go to, as in They took to the woods . [c. 1200]
-
Develop as a habit or steady practice, as in He took to coming home later and later . [c. 1300]
-
Become fond of, like, as in I took to him immediately , or The first time she skied she took to it . This expression, from the mid-1700s, is sometimes expanded to take to it like a duck to water , a simile dating from the late 1800s.
-
take to be . Understand, consider, or assume, as in I took it to be the right entrance . [Mid-1500s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with take to .
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.
That being said, there are some steps you could take to ensure that you’re in a better position should you ever have to navigate a similar situation in the future.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Even so, there are plenty of steps ex-smokers can take to boost the benefits from quitting, from changing their diet to beefing up their exercise regimen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
And no one is sure how long it is going to take to remove all the meat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
But what will it take to move England to the top of the podium at a major tournament?
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
But suppose he should take to locking them?
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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.
