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
An unidentified male of unknown age who was also struck in the body was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
Victim identified Police said 32-year-old Kiara Lewis was taken to a hospital by Dallas Fire-Rescue in critical condition, where she was pronounced dead.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Rue takes to this teaching like the Torah, ogling the girls grinding for bills with a fervor that mimics that of a religious revelation.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Motorsports sanctioning bodies and manufacturers continually work to improve safety measures, to better protect competitors, spectators, track personnel and others every time racers strap on their helmets, buckle their safety belts, take to the track and compete.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
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William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
Victim identified Police said 32-year-old Kiara Lewis was taken to a hospital by Dallas Fire-Rescue in critical condition, where she was pronounced dead.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Rue takes to this teaching like the Torah, ogling the girls grinding for bills with a fervor that mimics that of a religious revelation.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Motorsports sanctioning bodies and manufacturers continually work to improve safety measures, to better protect competitors, spectators, track personnel and others every time racers strap on their helmets, buckle their safety belts, take to the track and compete.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.
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