take a powder

idiomatic phrase

US, informal + somewhat old-fashioned
: to leave hurriedly
It is the players and incoming recruits who are most affected when a coach abruptly takes a powder.Jack McCallum
The beavers put up with this, Fair explains, until the surrounding population reached 250 families, and then the beavers took a powder.Gregory Jaynes
This is the worst extinction phase the planet has experienced since dinosaurs took a powder about 65 million years ago.The Lompoc (California) Record

Examples of take a powder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Getting the benefits of whey protein can mean taking a powder daily or close to it, and that can be costly. Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 20 June 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take a powder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take a powder was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near take a powder

Cite this Entry

“Take a powder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20powder. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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