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.
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
AliExpress has to now pay the fine and present a plan to the EU by October 20 that includes what action it will take to tackle the breaches.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
But they were prepared to stay overnight, or whatever it would take, to stop the removal of any more trees, Muñiz-Ochoa said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Fortunately, there are steps investors can take to help reduce longevity risk and make their money last longer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
So if I could learn all the skills I need for life in five weeks, how long could it possibly take to learn to read?
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
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.
