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
That and the ensuing wave of arrests have made many fearful of taking to the streets again.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
Before these recent protests, people who had taken to the streets had had very specific, clear humanistic and civil-rights demands.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Rob Luckritz said three of the 14 people injured in the attack were taken to hospitals in critical condition, the Austin American-Stateman reported; emergency services reportedly arrived on the scene within a minute of the shooting.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2026
The store employee, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take to
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Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
Before these recent protests, people who had taken to the streets had had very specific, clear humanistic and civil-rights demands.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Rob Luckritz said three of the 14 people injured in the attack were taken to hospitals in critical condition, the Austin American-Stateman reported; emergency services reportedly arrived on the scene within a minute of the shooting.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2026
The store employee, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2026
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 5 Mar. 2026.
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