high-tailing it
Making hasty escape
High-tailing it means leaving quickly, fleeing, or hurrying away—often to escape trouble or avoid something unpleasant.
The image comes from animals like deer or horses that raise their tails when running at full speed.
When the cops showed up, we high-tailed it out of there.
Also spelled hightailing.
- hightailDepart with urgency
- making tracksDeparting swiftly, urgently
- scootDepart hastily
- skedaddleDepart hastily, often fearfully
- booking itFleeing rapidly on foot
scurry · bolt · legging it · hasten · flee · running away · running for the hills · retreating · beating a hasty retreat · escape · run · vamoose · getting out of Dodge · dash · sprint · absconding · cutting and running · panicking
high-tailing itstrolling
Walking at ease
sauntering · ambling · dawdling · moseying · plodding
high-tailing itlingering
Remaining beyond expected duration
loitering · tarrying · dallying · lazing about · killing time
high-tailing itstanding one's ground
Refusing to yield position
staying put · digging in · sticking around · lingering · advancing
high, tail, tailing, tailed, tails, higher, highest, highly, highness