take to (one's) heels

To flee or run away. The youths took to their heels when they heard the police officers approaching.

See also: heel, take, to

take to your heels

LITERARY

If you take to your heels, you run away. He took to his heels and rushed out of the room.

See also: heel, take, to

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

take to your heels (or legs)

run away.

See also: heel, take, to

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

ˌtake to your ˈheels

run away very quickly: The burglars took to their heels when they heard the police arrive.

See also: heel, take, to

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References in periodicals archive

Of course, the spontaneous thing was to take to your heels. So, everyone that left my family compound together took to their heels.

'Doctors Said I Would Never Have A Child, Today, I'm Blessed With Children'

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