hightailing it
Making quick escape
Hightailing it means leaving quickly, usually to escape trouble or avoid an unpleasant situation: We saw the cops coming and started hightailing it out of there.
The image comes from animals like deer or rabbits raising their tails as they flee.
The phrase implies urgency and often a degree of fear or self-preservation.
- skedaddleDepart hastily, often fearfully
- making tracksDeparting swiftly, urgently
- fleeDepart swiftly from threat
- getting out of DodgeDeparting hastily from danger
- scrambleMix into disorder
bolt · hurry · beating a hasty retreat · absconding · escape · running away · running for the hills · hotfooting · dash · legging it · scurrying · sprint · vamoose · taking off · getaway · rapid · depart · hitting the road
hightailing itambling
Walking without urgency
crawling · plodding · sauntering · creeping · shuffling
hightailing ittaking one's time
lingering · loitering · dallying · lollygagging · killing time
hightailing itstaying put
Remaining in place
standing one's ground · remaining · sticking around · digging in · settling in
hightail, hightailed, hightails, high, higher, highest, highly, highness, tail