to take to the woods
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
huir
- Seeing the approaching danger, the hiker quickly took to the woods for safety.
Examples
-
The children took to the woods as soon as they heard the loud noise coming from the road.
-
the troublemakers took to the woods to the hut of a witch
-
Even here, in rural Vermont, there are folks who hate the fact that every fall, men, women, and children of all colors and backgrounds take to the woods to hunt wild game.
Blog text (15) -
When the storm approached, the animals took to the woods to find shelter.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To move a boat fast in the same direction as the wind
∞
1.0
To get away from a place where you are kept or are in danger
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
273
3.2
To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else
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
37
8.1
Tell someone to leave in a rude way
36
5.3
To try to escape quickly, often by running
25
3.9
Get away very quickly to avoid being hurt
20
3.8
Leave suddenly because you are in a hurry
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
12
7.9
To leave a place suddenly without permission
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
5.6
To leave a place quickly to escape danger or trouble
7
9.2
Leave a place quickly to avoid trouble or danger
5
5.8
To leave a place suddenly and unexpectedly
5
4.9
Leave a place suddenly and quickly because you feel scared
5
7.2
Leave quickly to go somewhere or to avoid trouble
5
3.6
To escape suddenly from control, capture, or a group
4
7.8
To run away quickly to escape danger
2
2.5
Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry
1
9.1
Leave quickly, often because you are scared
1
9.7
To run away quickly to avoid trouble
1
6.1
Run away quickly to escape danger or trouble
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
To run away quickly, usually because you are afraid
To run away quickly to avoid being caught
To leave a place suddenly, usually to go somewhere else
To run away quickly to avoid being caught by the police
Antonyms
How Fast
- Informal
69
2.3
550
1.6
∞
1.0
632
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is largely compositional: a learner who knows 'take' and 'woods' can infer movement into the woods, so they can plausibly deduce a meaning involving going to or retreating into the woods. However, the specific idiomatic nuance of 'fleeing' or 'running away suddenly/to hide' (rather than merely 'going') is a conventionalized sense that may not be fully predictable from the parts, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Take to the woods likely comes from the clear image of someone quickly taking themselves to the woods to hide or find safety when danger appears. That's why it now means 'to flee or run away'.