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
On Monday, June 23, nine people were taken to the hospital by emergency medical technicians, while 50 others declined hospital care and were treated on site at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, said Fire Department Chief Alex Alicea according to the Bergen Record, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 June 2025
The boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, officials said.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Over time, its value is anticipated to grow as it is used to analyze workflows, and the steps employees take to perform their jobs and assume more of their lowest level tasks.
—Greg Pavlik, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Rodney Taylor, a double amputee detained at Stewart Detention Center, has never been taken to a hospital despite multiple medical emergencies, according to his fiancée, Mildred Pierre.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for take to
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Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 June 2025
The boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, officials said.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Over time, its value is anticipated to grow as it is used to analyze workflows, and the steps employees take to perform their jobs and assume more of their lowest level tasks.
—Greg Pavlik, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Rodney Taylor, a double amputee detained at Stewart Detention Center, has never been taken to a hospital despite multiple medical emergencies, according to his fiancée, Mildred Pierre.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, Wired News, 25 June 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 30 Jun. 2025.
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