get out of Dodge

verb

To leave, especially to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

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Meanings

verbget out of Dodge (third-person singular simple present gets out of Dodge, present participle getting out of Dodge, simple past got out of Dodge, past participle gotten out of Dodge)

present singular third person gets out of Dodge · participle present getting out of Dodge · past got out of Dodge · participle past gotten out of Dodge

  1. USidiomaticTo leave, especially to leave a difficult or dangerous environment with all possible haste.

    The pulp mills, he predicts, "are going to just high-grade all the best trees and get the hell out of Dodge."

    1988 November 3, Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Public Lands, National Parks, and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, 5, 1987, Volume 4, p. 94
    1 more example

    When Jasper surfaced, Skiles thought to himself, Woody will come through. He'll find the way. He always gets us out of predicaments like this. Now that he's back it's just a matter or gearing up, getting in the water and getting the hell out of Dodge.

    1999, Robert Forrest Burgess, The Cave Divers, →ISBN, page 298

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
take to the hills

Origin

An allusion to Dodge City, Kansas, a busy cattle town in the late 19th century notorious for gunfighters, gambling, brothels and saloons. Possibly inspired by the radio and television series Gunsmoke (1952–1975).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish ottaa hatkat
  • ottaa hatkatTranslations
French vider les lieux, lever le camp
  • vider les lieuxTranslations
  • lever le campTranslations
  • ficher le campTranslations
  • décamperTranslations
German eine Fliege machen
  • eine Fliege machenTranslations
Italian togliersi dalle palle
  • togliersi dalle palleTranslations
Polish uciekać, uciec
  • uciekaćTranslations
  • uciecTranslations
Russian рвать ко́гти, зада́ть стрекача́
  • рвать ко́гти (rvatʹ kógti)Translations
  • зада́ть стрекача́ (zadátʹ strekačá)Translations
  • дра́пать (drápatʹ)Translations
Spanish desaparecer, largarse de una puta vez
  • desaparecerTranslations
  • largarse de una puta vezTranslations
  • salir cagando lechesTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

get out of Dodge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20out%20of%20Dodge

MLA

“get out of Dodge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20out%20of%20Dodge. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get out of Dodge,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20out%20of%20Dodge.

Source: get out of Dodge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.