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
Investors typically take flight to the dollar when stocks are falling, but that’s no longer the case, said George Saravelos, global head of FX research at the German bank.
—
Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Some other systems station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into drones that are considered a threat.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Some other systems station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into drones that are considered a threat.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
There are novels that will never be written, music that will never be recorded, innovative ideas that will never be imagined or executed, relationships that will never take flight, policies that will never see the light of day, because these neighborhoods no longer exist.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take flight
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.
Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Some other systems station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into drones that are considered a threat.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Some other systems station small drones to take flight quickly and ram into drones that are considered a threat.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
There are novels that will never be written, music that will never be recorded, innovative ideas that will never be imagined or executed, relationships that will never take flight, policies that will never see the light of day, because these neighborhoods no longer exist.
—Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
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 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
