turned tail

A form of turn tail — To turn away from someone or something, in preparation for running away; to reverse direction; to leave or flee.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of turn tail
Cite this entry
APA

turned tail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turned%20tail

MLA

“turned tail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turned%20tail. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turned tail,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turned%20tail.

Source: turned tail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.