take to the hills

verb

To flee or vanish; to run away.

“He often took to the hills when his mother-in-law was in town.”

Similar
run for the hillstake to one's heelsget out of Dodgetake a powder
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

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

present singular third person takes to the hills · participle present taking to the hills · past took to the hills · participle past taken to the hills

  1. idiomaticTo flee or vanish; to run away.

    He often took to the hills when his mother-in-law was in town.

    1 more example

    Near-synonyms: run for the hills, take to one's heels, get out of Dodge, take a powder

    Synonyms: run for the hills, take to one's heels, get out of Dodge, take a powder

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo flee or vanish; to run away.

Similar
run for the hillstake to one's heelsget out of Dodgetake a powder
Also see
fleerun to the hills

Translations

Finnish ottaa hatkat, ottaa Ritolat
  • ottaa hatkatidioms meaning "to run away"
  • ottaa Ritolatidioms meaning "to run away"
French prendre la clef des champs, prendre la fuite
  • prendre la clef des champsidioms meaning "to run away"
  • prendre la fuiteidioms meaning "to run away"
  • prendre le largeidioms meaning "to run away"
  • prendre la poudre d'escampetteidioms meaning "to run away"
  • prendre ses jambes à son couidioms meaning "to run away"
  • se faire la malleidioms meaning "to run away"
  • se faire la belleidioms meaning "to run away"
  • se faire la paireidioms meaning "to run away"
  • mettre les voilesidioms meaning "to run away"
  • prendre la tangenteidioms meaning "to run away"
  • fuiridioms meaning "to run away"
  • s'enfuiridioms meaning "to run away"
German das Weite suchen, sich abseilen
  • das Weite suchenidioms meaning "to run away"
  • sich abseilenidioms meaning "to run away"
  • sich dünnmachenidioms meaning "to run away"
  • sich verkrümelnidioms meaning "to run away"
Polish zmywać się, zmyć się
  • zmywać sięidioms meaning "to run away"
  • zmyć sięidioms meaning "to run away"
  • ulatniać sięidioms meaning "to run away"
  • ulotnić sięidioms meaning "to run away"
Spanish poner tierra de por medio, echarse al monte
  • poner tierra de por medioidioms meaning "to run away"
  • echarse al monteidioms meaning "to run away"
  • cojer las maletasidioms meaning "to run away"
  • hacer las maletasidioms meaning "to run away"
Cite this entry
APA

take to the hills. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20to%20the%20hills

MLA

“take to the hills.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20to%20the%20hills. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take to the hills,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20to%20the%20hills.

Source: take to the hills on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.