take flight

verb

To begin flying; to become airborne or aloft; to take off and fly

“The criminals took flight as soon as they heard the sirens.”

Similar
flyflee
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Meanings

verbtake flight (third-person singular simple present takes flight, present participle taking flight, simple past took flight, past participle taken flight)

present singular third person takes flight · participle present taking flight · past took flight · participle past taken flight

  1. idiomaticTo begin flying; to become airborne or aloft; to take off and fly

    Though the bird is still young, in a day or two it will spread its wing and take flight for the first time.

  2. idiomaticto flee

    The criminals took flight as soon as they heard the sirens.

    Synonyms: fly

Synonyms & antonyms

verbto flee

Similar
fly

More synonyms by meaning

verbrun away quickly

Similar
fleefly
Broader
scatrunscarper
Also see
fleefly

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish lähteä lentoon, paeta
  • lähteä lentoonto become airborne
  • paetato flee
French s'envoler, prendre son vol
  • s'envolerto become airborne
  • prendre son volto become airborne
  • prendre son envolto become airborne
  • prendre la fuiteto flee
Greek τρέπομαι σε φυγή
  • τρέπομαι σε φυγή (trépomai se fygí)to flee
Hungarian szárnyra kap
  • szárnyra kapto become airborne
Italian spiccare il volo, darsi alla fuga
  • spiccare il voloto become airborne
  • darsi alla fugato flee
Māori hārewa
  • hārewato flee
Polish wznosić się, wznieść się
  • wznosić sięto become airborne
  • wznieść sięto become airborne
  • uciekaćto flee
  • uciecto flee
Portuguese levantar voo
  • levantar vooto become airborne
Romanian își lua zborul
  • își lua zborulto become airborne
Russian взлете́ть, убега́ть
  • взлете́ть (vzletétʹ)to become airborne
  • убега́ть (ubegátʹ)to flee
  • улета́ть (uletátʹ)to flee
  • уплыва́ть (uplyvátʹ)to flee
Spanish alzar el vuelo, levantar el vuelo
  • alzar el vueloto become airborne
  • levantar el vueloto become airborne
Swedish ta till flykten
  • ta till flyktento flee
Cite this entry
APA

take flight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20flight

MLA

“take flight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20flight. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take flight,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20flight.

Source: take flight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.