turn tail

Idioms  

1. Run away, as in When they heard the sirens, the boys turned tail. This term alludes to an animal's turning its back in flight. [Mid-1500s]

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Example Sentences

One was carrying Russian naphtha—a diluent Venezuela uses to mix with heavy oil—to the South American country when it turned tail in the Indian Ocean; the others were empty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Stick it out long enough, and they’ll turn on their own allies, start fighting among themselves, turn tail and run away.

From Salon

In any event, National Review turned tail and ran.

From Los Angeles Times

Regardless, one wonders if old Myn would have dared toy so brazenly with a male military officer, or if he would have turned tail as soon as his ship landed.

From Salon

That predicted policy easing is considerably more aggressive than what is priced in for the rest of the developed world, a major reason the U.S. dollar has turned tail.

From Reuters