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
Six were taken to area hospitals with injuries and were listed in stable condition Friday afternoon.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate Comey’s indictment.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived and the man was taken to HCA HealthONE Swedish, where he was pronounced dead.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Williams, 43, took to social media with a video of the decor, a vase holding a cotton plant on a table in the hallway, and asked her followers for their thoughts about the display.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take to
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Jason Green, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate Comey’s indictment.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived and the man was taken to HCA HealthONE Swedish, where he was pronounced dead.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Williams, 43, took to social media with a video of the decor, a vase holding a cotton plant on a table in the hallway, and asked her followers for their thoughts about the display.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 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 29 Sep. 2025.
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