verb
flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
-
If you see this man, run!
-
The burglars escaped before the police showed up
• Syn:
↑scat, ↑run, ↑scarper, ↑lam, ↑run away, ↑hightail it, ↑bunk, ↑head for the hills, ↑take to the woods, ↑escape, ↑fly the coop, ↑break away
• Hyponyms: ↑flee, ↑fly, ↑take flight, ↑skedaddle
• Verb Frames:
-
Something ——s
-
Somebody ——s
-
Somebody ——s PP
* * *
RUN AWAY, flee, bolt, make off, take to one's heels, cut and run, beat a (hasty) retreat; informal scram, scarper, skedaddle, vamoose.
→ tail
* * *
phrasal1. : to run away (as from danger or opposition)
might have to carry him out on a stretcher, but he wouldn't turn tail again — Hamilton Basso
: retreat from a position
administration turned tail and ran — Elmer Davis
* * *
turn tail
To turn round (and run off)
• • •
Main Entry: ↑tail
————————
turn tail see under ↑tail1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑turn
* * *
turn tail phrase
to run away from a dangerous situation
Main entry: tail
* * *
informal turn around and run away
* * *
turn tail
He turned tail and ran from the fight.
You can't just turn tail and run from your problems.
• • •
Main Entry: ↑tail
* * *
turn ˈtail idiom
to run away from a fight or dangerous situation
•
When they heard the sirens, they turned tail and ran.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.