take flight

idiom

1
: to leave or run away from danger
Fearing arrest, they took flight and hid in the mountains.
2
US : to begin flying
The bird took flight when we tried to approach it.
3
US : to begin a period of rapid activity, development, or growth
The idea really took flight and soon it seemed everyone was copying it.

Examples of take flight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Later tonight, Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Zion Williamson take flight. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 Recovery of a raptor:Condors take flight near Grand Canyon, but lead ammo could ground the species Thanks for reading and for subscribing to AZ Climate, the Arizona Republic's weekly environment newsletter. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024 In a behavior known as ballooning, spiders take flight by extending a silk thread to catch charges in the sky, sometimes traveling hundreds of kilometers with the wind. Max G. Levy, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2024 The mobile feather embraces the wrist in an openwork construction that allows the bird to spread its wings and take flight. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take flight 

Cite this Entry

“Take flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20flight. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!