high-tailed it
Made hasty retreat
High-tailed it means left quickly, usually to escape trouble or avoid an unpleasant situation.
The image is of an animal—a deer or horse—raising its tail as it bolts: When the cops showed up, we high-tailed it out of there.
Sometimes spelled hightailed.
The phrase is informal and suggests hasty, undignified retreat.
- fledEscaped from danger
- sprintedRan at top speed
- escapedGot away from confinement
- got out of DodgeLeft somewhere fast
- dashedMoved with sudden speed
vamoose · ran · took off running · bug out · bolted · beat it · beat a hasty retreat · skedaddle · raced · clear out · hightailed · scram · ran for the hills · departed · make tracks · hit the road · abscond · take off
high-tailed itdawdled
Moved slowly, idly
lingered · loitered · dallied · tarried · moseyed along
high-tailed itstayed put
Continued in place
stood one's ground · remained · stuck around · hung around · dug in
high, tail, tailed, tailing, tails, higher, highest, highly, highness