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Glite Dictionary
to take wing

to take wing

3 5.8
Begin to fly, like birds rising into the air or projects starting to do well
  • phrasal verb
  • /teɪk wɪŋ/
  • Literature
translation icon : echar a volar
  • Sunlight glinted off the gentle waves, the beach sparkled like snow, and a flock of seabirds took wing at the sound of our approach and circled around our landing site almost like an invitation.
  • birds take wing
  • flock of seabirds took wing
  • ready to take wing

Examples

  • The eagle took wing from the cliff edge, gliding effortlessly towards the horizon.

  • Eric turns back to the bird, which takes wing in the rain. His eyes follow it.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • "We most certainly can," Amy replied as her heart took wing.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Across the nation and the globe pigeons are taking wing in a fight for freedom.

    Valiant (2005)

  • At his approach, a grey heron took wing and thrashed its way powerfully aloft.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Pigeons take wing as Rath sees the rifle twist up, firing wildly into the sky.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • As the sun began to rise, the flock of geese took wing and soared into the sky.

  • After months of planning, her new business finally took wing and started to grow.

Synonyms

to take off
vsto take wing
478 1.9

To leave the ground and begin to fly

is used more broadly for beginning in earnest in literal or figurative ways
to get off the ground
vsto take wing
38 4.2

Start a project or business successfully so it begins to work

is more about beginning to fly or starting in earnest rather than success
to take to the skies
vsto take wing
4 4.6

To begin flying and rise into the sky

can also mean to begin something in earnest not only literal flight
to fly out of the blocks
vsto take wing
6.7

Begin something very quickly and with a lot of energy

means to begin but not necessarily with extreme speed or energy

Antonyms

to land
∞ 1.0

To come down and rest on a surface

to descend
150 2.7

Move from a higher to a lower place

How High

to soar
97 1.8
to lift off
20 3.9
to take wing
  • Literature
3 5.8
to flutter
35 3.5

Surface Forms

take wing infinitive
taking wing present participle
takes wing third person singular
took wing past
taken wing past participle

Morphology

take + wing

The meaning 'to begin to fly / take off' follows directly from combining 'take' (assume, begin) with 'wing' (the flight organ), so a learner who knows both words can infer the action of starting to fly. The figurative extension ('to begin in earnest') is a natural metaphorical transfer of the literal sense and is cross-linguistically common, supporting a transparent rating.

Etymology

Take wing comes from the image of a bird spreading its wings and lifting off into the air. That's why when something 'takes wing' today it means 'to begin to fly' or 'to start'.