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
The baby was taken to a hospital for a full evaluation, Lynch said.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Lewis was taken to Pulaski County jail, where she was charged, the release says.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2025
Go leaf-peeping in nearby state parks like Patapsco Valley or Gunpowder Falls, or take to the water on a scenic Inner Harbor cruise for skyline views framed by fall color.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2025
When football was introduced in the early 1890s, beer enthusiasts instantly took to the sport and straddled the Mississippi River like a roulette wheel, only with one side wearing red and the other black and gold.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
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Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Lewis was taken to Pulaski County jail, where she was charged, the release says.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2025
Go leaf-peeping in nearby state parks like Patapsco Valley or Gunpowder Falls, or take to the water on a scenic Inner Harbor cruise for skyline views framed by fall color.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2025
When football was introduced in the early 1890s, beer enthusiasts instantly took to the sport and straddled the Mississippi River like a roulette wheel, only with one side wearing red and the other black and gold.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 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 16 Oct. 2025.
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