take flight

idiom

1
: to leave or run away from danger
Fearing arrest, they took flight and hid in the mountains.
2
US : to begin flying
The bird took flight when we tried to approach it.
3
US : to begin a period of rapid activity, development, or growth
The idea really took flight and soon it seemed everyone was copying it.

Examples of take flight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After playing gravity-defying Elphaba in the blockbuster musical Wicked, Cynthia Erivo wants to next take flight as comic book superhero Storm. Nick Romano, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025 Other new rockets and spacecraft may take flight in 2025. Michael Roston, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025 From these, larvae hatch and eat live flesh for seven days, then drop to the ground and, in less than a day, take flight as flies. Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024 Lastly, after completing its inaugural year sponsoring women’s gymnastics, the ACC will truly take flight in 2025. Caroline Price, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take flight 

Cite this Entry

“Take flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20flight. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!