to take to one's heels
1
6.1
- idiom
- Informal
:
echar a correr
- On the night of the robbery, when young Mr Brown called out, the thief took to his heels and ran down the stairs.
- then took to his heels
Examples
-
But by this time, our assailant had taken to his heels, fast disappearing down a walkway that ran along the side of one of St. James Street's grand houses.
Fiction book (2001) -
Saul, on the other hand, my blazing partner, took to his heels.
Fiction book (2000) -
A week later, my father's second wife took to her heels.
Fiction book (1998) -
Knowing full well what it intended, Diana took to her heels.
Fiction book (1992) -
The shepherd cried out in terror and took to his heels as if demented.
Fiction book (1995) -
He forgot all about the "rough wooing" underway and dropped Greta Marie smack on the town green, then took to his heels.
Fiction book (1999) -
The instant the soothsayer was out of sight, Lucian took to his heels in the opposite direction, running to find his closest friend in the palace, Menyas, the old stableman.
Fiction book (1995) -
When the alarm sounded, the students took to their heels and ran out of the building.
-
As soon as the dog barked at him, the burglar took to his heels and fled the scene.
-
Seeing the angry crowd approaching, she quickly took to her heels to escape.
Synonyms
550
1.6
To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control
331
2.4
To run away from a place because it is dangerous
260
3.7
To leave a place or person suddenly, often without saying goodbye
78
2.0
Leave a place suddenly, often to avoid someone or something
69
2.3
To run away suddenly to escape danger
36
5.3
To try to escape quickly, often by running
31
5.5
To move quickly with short hurried steps, often to hide or escape
25
3.9
Get away very quickly to avoid being hurt
18
8.3
To leave a place very quickly to escape danger or trouble
16
8.4
To leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger
14
9.3
To run away quickly because you are afraid
11
3.5
Leave quickly to escape danger, often by flying
11
4.4
Leave a place quickly to avoid being caught after causing or seeing trouble
7
7.0
To run away quickly because you are afraid
7
9.2
Leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger
7
5.6
To leave a place quickly to escape danger or trouble
5
5.8
To leave a place suddenly and unexpectedly
5
4.9
Leave a place suddenly and quickly because you feel scared
5
6.6
Leave a place quickly because people are angry or you are in trouble
5
7.2
Leave quickly to go somewhere or to avoid trouble
5
8.0
To leave a place very quickly to avoid danger or trouble
4
7.8
To run away quickly to escape danger
3
8.8
To leave quickly to avoid trouble or questions
3
7.4
To leave quickly by suddenly walking away because you are angry or shocked
2
2.5
Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry
2
9.0
To leave quickly to escape or avoid something
1
9.0
Move quickly on foot to escape or reach a place fast
1
9.7
To run away quickly to avoid trouble
1
5.8
To move quickly and lightly away, often because something scares you
1
6.0
To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble
1
7.1
Move away quickly to avoid something you are afraid of
To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid
Run quickly into the woods to escape danger
Run away quickly to avoid danger or trouble
To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone
To leave quickly to avoid trouble or attention
To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid
To run away quickly to avoid being caught
Antonyms
How Fast
331
2.4
- Informal
1
6.1
- Informal
260
3.7
∞
1.0
632
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts ('take' + 'one's' + 'heels') point to bodily movement and using the feet, so a learner can infer a relation to running or moving, but the particular sense 'to run away quickly/escape' is a conventionalized metaphor and not strictly compositional. The phrasing 'take to one's heels' is idiomatic and may not be fully predictable without exposure (and cross-linguistic equivalents vary), so it is partially but not wholly transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Take to one's heels creates a simple image: someone suddenly starts running away and is literally moving on their heels to get away fast. That's why it means 'run away quickly' to escape danger or trouble.