take to

verb

took to; taken to; taking to; takes to

transitive verb

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 participle

take 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

Recently, he'd taken to wearing tuxedos and suits and had gotten a new car, she said.

—Laura Italiano and Tamar Lapin

3

: 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

Examples of take to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Key speakers — including potential vice-presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) — took to social media to blame the assassination attempt on President Biden’s campaign. —Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 15 July 2024

Even writers and actors, who took to the picket line last year to fight not for some exorbitant, unreasonable ask, but a livable wage, often surviving paycheck-to-paycheck. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 July 2024

Whether there’s a safe and inviting route your family can take to the local ice cream shop is another question. —Sam Gallaher, Orlando Sentinel, 14 July 2024

Kennedy was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead the next day. —Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1