take to
verb
took to; taken to; taking to; takes to
1
: to go to or into (a place)
take to the woods/hills
Thousands of people took to the streets in protest. [=went out into the streets to protest]
He took to the airwaves [=he spoke on the radio] with his message.
2
: to begin doing (something) as a habit or regular practice
take to drink
—usually used with a following present participletake to drinking/smoking
He's recently taken to staying up late on weekends.
A few of her classmates took to calling her Pipi, after Pippi Longstocking …—
Calvin Tomkins
Calvin TomkinsRecently, he'd taken to wearing tuxedos and suits and had gotten a new car, she said.—Laura Italiano and Tamar Lapin
Laura Italiano and Tamar Lapin3
: to adapt oneself to
They haven't taken well to the new schedule.
4
: to start to have a liking for
I took to her immediately.
He tried skiing and took to it quickly. [=he quickly learned how to ski and liked doing it]
Note: To take to something like a duck (takes) to water is to begin to do it, use it, etc., in a very quick, easy, and natural way.
She took to horseback riding like a duck to water.
Deanna takes to student life like a duck takes to water, doing all the things that we all did …—Joe Anderton
see also take kindly to
Joe AndertonExamples of take to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the men involved in the shooting was also struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, where he was interviewed by detectives.
—Julia Bonavita, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook took to X to confirm the news personally in a reply to Ben Stiller.
—Lian Brooks, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2025
There’s little margin to waver or time to ponder; actions must now be taken to avoid the current direction of economic and ecological collapse.
—Suwanna Gauntlett, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Southwest confirmed that the passengers were taken to a separate aircraft, which then took them to Albany.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take to
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.
Julia Bonavita, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook took to X to confirm the news personally in a reply to Ben Stiller.
—Lian Brooks, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2025
There’s little margin to waver or time to ponder; actions must now be taken to avoid the current direction of economic and ecological collapse.
—Suwanna Gauntlett, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Southwest confirmed that the passengers were taken to a separate aircraft, which then took them to Albany.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take to
Cite this Entry
“Take to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20to. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share