take to
verb
took to; taken to; taking to; takes to
1
: to go to or into (a place)
take to the woods/hills
Thousands of people took to the streets in protest. [=went out into the streets to protest]
He took to the airwaves [=he spoke on the radio] with his message.
2
: to begin doing (something) as a habit or regular practice
take to drink
—usually used with a following present participletake to drinking/smoking
He's recently taken to staying up late on weekends.
A few of her classmates took to calling her Pipi, after Pippi Longstocking …—
Calvin Tomkins
Calvin TomkinsRecently, he'd taken to wearing tuxedos and suits and had gotten a new car, she said.—Laura Italiano and Tamar Lapin
Laura Italiano and Tamar Lapin3
: to adapt oneself to
They haven't taken well to the new schedule.
4
: to start to have a liking for
I took to her immediately.
He tried skiing and took to it quickly. [=he quickly learned how to ski and liked doing it]
Note: To take to something like a duck (takes) to water is to begin to do it, use it, etc., in a very quick, easy, and natural way.
She took to horseback riding like a duck to water.
Deanna takes to student life like a duck takes to water, doing all the things that we all did …—Joe Anderton
see also take kindly to
Joe AndertonExamples of take to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The older surfer was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he’s listed in critical condition, cops said.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
The officer driving the Ford Explorer and three people in the Honda in addition to Mehta were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
—Ryan Oehrli
may 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Democrats celebrated the departures, taking to social media to criticize the Cabinet member who was leaving the administration.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2026
Special shout-out to the writers’ room for giving us a high-tension cold open and then segueing immediately post-credits to the Titan equivalent of a family road trip where Mom and Dad are pedantic geniuses arguing over what route to take to the beach.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 22 May 2026
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Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
The officer driving the Ford Explorer and three people in the Honda in addition to Mehta were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
—Ryan Oehrli
may 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Democrats celebrated the departures, taking to social media to criticize the Cabinet member who was leaving the administration.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2026
Special shout-out to the writers’ room for giving us a high-tension cold open and then segueing immediately post-credits to the Titan equivalent of a family road trip where Mom and Dad are pedantic geniuses arguing over what route to take to the beach.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for take to
Cite this Entry
“Take to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20to. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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