- turn tail
- verbflee; take to one's heels; cut and run-
If you see this man, run!
-The burglars escaped before the police showed up
• Syn:↑scat, ↑run, ↑scarper, ↑lam, ↑run away, ↑hightail it, ↑bunk, ↑head for the hills, ↑take to the woods, ↑escape, ↑fly the coop, ↑break away• Hyponyms: ↑flee, ↑fly, ↑take flight, ↑skedaddle• Verb Frames:-Something ——s
-Somebody ——s
-Somebody ——s PP
* * *
RUN AWAY, flee, bolt, make off, take to one's heels, cut and run, beat a (hasty) retreat; informal scram, scarper, skedaddle, vamoose.→ tail* * *
phrasal1. : to run away (as from danger or opposition)might have to carry him out on a stretcher, but he wouldn't turn tail again — Hamilton Basso
: retreat from a positionadministration turned tail and ran — Elmer Davis
* * *
turn tailTo turn round (and run off)• • •Main Entry: ↑tail————————turn tail see under ↑tail1• • •Main Entry: ↑turn* * *
turn tail phraseto run away from a dangerous situationMain entry: tail* * *
informal turn around and run away* * *
turn tailHe turned tail and ran from the fight.
You can't just turn tail and run from your problems.
• • •Main Entry: ↑tail* * *
turn ˈtail idiomto run away from a fight or dangerous situation•
When they heard the sirens, they turned tail and ran.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.