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to hightail

to hightail

18 8.3
To leave a place very quickly to escape danger or trouble
  • verb
  • /ˈhaɪˌteɪl/
  • Informal
translation icon : salir corriendo
  • Over the hyperspace radio, I ordered the other five vessels to hightail it towards Earth as fast as possible.

At this point, they're freaking out, and he hightails it out of there straight to the Intercontinental Hotel.

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Examples

  • We better hightail it out of here.

  • And yeah, they decide to just hightail it and retreat.

  • And the three of us can hightail it to Mexico.

  • As soon as you fire that shot, you jump on your horse and hightail it, you hear?

  • I think her husband did contact her and told her to hightail it down there despite our presence.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • You lose my guys and hightail it south.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I want you to hightail it back to the lab and put a call in.

  • Dudes, Mom saw me, so I had to hightail it out of there.

  • He'd be saving his own skin and hightailing it out as fast as he could.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Fearing for his life, Kurt Calabrese hightailed it out of the restaurant and drove off.

Synonyms

to get out of here
vsto hightail
  • Informal
3.0

Leave a place quickly or suddenly

adds the idea that the leaving often aims to escape or retreat
to run away
vsto hightail
550 1.6

To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control

is about fast retreat but not necessarily secretive or hidden
to fly
vsto hightail
333 1.8

Pass very quickly, often used for time

focuses more narrowly on leaving fast specifically to retreat
to flee
vsto hightail
331 2.4

To run away from a place because it is dangerous

focuses similarly on rapid escape rather than ordinary hurried exit
to run out
vsto hightail
78 2.0

Leave a place suddenly, often to avoid someone or something

adds clearer sense of escaping danger or retreating intentionally
to bolt
vsto hightail
69 2.3

To run away suddenly to escape danger

emphasizes rapid retreat specifically as an escape rather than any quick move
to up and leave
vsto hightail
  • Informal
41 6.3

Go away suddenly without warning or explanation

is similar but often implies escaping from trouble or danger
to make a run for it
vsto hightail
  • Informal
36 5.3

To try to escape quickly, often by running

is more general about fast leaving rather than a risky dash
to rush off
vsto hightail
20 3.8

Leave suddenly because you are in a hurry

focuses more on escaping or retreating rather than just lack of preparation
to hightail it
vsto hightail
  • Informal
16 8.4

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is the same idea in a slightly different colloquial form
to skedaddle
vsto hightail
  • Informal
14 9.3

To run away quickly because you are afraid

is about rapid leaving but not always driven by panic
to retreat from
vsto hightail
13 4.4

To move back from a place or activity to avoid danger and trouble

is more immediate and speedy rather than potentially planned withdrawal
to fly the coop
vsto hightail
  • Informal
12 7.9

To leave a place suddenly without permission

is broader about quick retreat, not limited to confinement contexts
to take flight
vsto hightail
11 3.5

Leave quickly to escape danger, often by flying

is more general about moving away very quickly to retreat
to fled the scene
vsto hightail
11 4.4

Leave a place quickly to avoid being caught after causing or seeing trouble

is similar speedwise but not always tied to wrongdoing
to turn tail
vsto hightail
7 7.0

To run away quickly because you are afraid

is similar but not limited to reactions of fear or defeat
to run for the hills
vsto hightail
  • Informal
7 5.6

To leave a place quickly to escape danger or trouble

is the same rapid leaving but usable in more contexts
to get out of Dodge
vsto hightail
  • Informal
7 9.2

Leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

is the same urgent exit but used in different informal situations
to bolt out
vsto hightail
  • Informal
5 4.9

Leave a place suddenly and quickly because you feel scared

stresses quick escape with the aim of avoiding trouble or pursuit
to bolt from
vsto hightail
  • Informal
5 5.8

To leave a place suddenly and unexpectedly

adds the sense of escape or retreat as the motivating reason
to run out of town
vsto hightail
5 6.6

Leave a place quickly because people are angry or you are in trouble

is more about escaping danger generally, not only social pressure
to high-tail
vsto hightail
  • Informal
5 8.0

To leave a place very quickly to avoid danger or trouble

is the unhyphenated variant of that same expression
to make tracks
vsto hightail
  • Informal
5 7.2

Leave quickly to go somewhere or to avoid trouble

is the same fast departure but framed as a more general escape
to head for the hills
vsto hightail
  • Informal
4 7.8

To run away quickly to escape danger

matches speed but is slightly more neutral about motive
to vamoose
vsto hightail
  • Informal
3 8.8

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or questions

carries the same urgency but stresses escaping or retreating specifically
to bug-out
vsto hightail
  • Slang
3 8.2

To leave a place quickly to escape danger

is similar but not limited to emergency or military settings
to rush away
vsto hightail
2 2.5

Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry

leans more toward escaping danger rather than ordinary hurry
to blow town
vsto hightail
  • Informal
2 9.8

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble

is similar but covers quick retreat from any location
to beat feet
vsto hightail
  • Slang
2 9.0

To leave quickly to escape or avoid something

is focused on quick escape even when not on foot
to leg it
vsto hightail
  • UK
1 9.0

Move quickly on foot to escape or reach a place fast

is similar but centers on urgent retreat rather than merely speed
skiddoo
vsto hightail
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A sudden leaving to escape trouble

adds the specific sense of escaping or retreating from danger
to beat a retreat
vsto hightail
1 6.0

To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble

is similar but can be less formal and more colloquial in tone
to take to one's heels
vsto hightail
  • Informal
1 6.1

Run away quickly to escape danger or trouble

is the broader fast departure sense rather than the act of running
to pelt down
vsto hightail
  • Informal
1 7.2

To run or move very quickly without control

is about quick escape but usually with less reckless motion
to take to the woods
vsto hightail
  • Informal
8.6

Run quickly into the woods to escape danger

is similar but highlights escape or retreat as the main aim
to make a bolt
vsto hightail
6.8

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

adds the explicit purpose of escaping or retreating from trouble
to take your hook
vsto hightail
  • Archaic
9.9

Leave a place quickly because you are not welcome

is the same fast leaving but with clearer escape intent
8.3

Run away quickly to avoid danger or trouble

is comparable but used more generally for fast departure
to skidoo
vsto hightail
  • Archaic
9.1

To leave quickly to avoid trouble or attention

keeps the rapid leaving sense but can imply escape or retreat
to do the dash
vsto hightail
  • UK
9.3

To run away quickly to avoid being caught

is the same urgent leaving but used in more varied contexts
to bolt down
vsto hightail
  • Informal
6.1

To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid

is the same urgent leaving but broadly used for escape or retreat
to absquatulate
vsto hightail
  • Archaic
9.9

To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone

is similar speedwise but usually without the secretive taking element

Antonyms

207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

Phrasal Verbs

to hightail it
  • Informal
16 8.4

To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger

How Fast

to bolt
69 2.3
to hightail
  • Informal
18 8.3
to run away
550 1.6
to slip away
32 3.4
to leave
1.0
to walk away
632 3.5

Surface Forms

hightail infinitive
hightailed past
hightailed past participle
hightailing present participle
hightails third person singular

Morphology

hightail = high + tail (semi-transparent) = high + tail

The components 'high' and 'tail' are visible, but the figurative meaning 'leave quickly' is idiomatic, derived from an image of animals holding their tails high while fleeing.

Etymology

Hightail is easy to remember: think of high meaning 'up' and tail meaning 'tail', like an animal holding its tail up as it runs away. So, to hightail is to leave very quickly to escape or get away.