Society, Law & Politics - Leaving or Escaping

Discover how English idioms like "the bird has flown" and "do a moonlight flit" relate to leaving or escaping in English.

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to [take] to {one's} heels [phrase]

to begin to leave somewhere by running fast

Ex: He frequently takes to his heels to avoid getting caught in pranks .

the bird has flown [sentence]

said to mean that a person that one looks for has fled or left

Ex:

AWOL [adjective]

(of a soldier) having left one's military duty without being permitted to do so

Ex: Last month , she went AWOL from her military duty , resulting in disciplinary action from her commanding officer .

to [go] south [phrase]

to depart or leave a place, often with the intention of avoiding a difficult or uncomfortable situation

Ex: He went south and skipped the meeting to avoid an uncomfortable situation .

on the run [phrase]

moving from one place to another in an attempt to not get caught or arrested

Ex:

to [go] to ground [phrase]

to suddenly disappear from sight, particularly in order to hide from someone

Ex: They plan to go to ground in a quiet countryside retreat to find peace and solitude .

to [give] {sb} the slip [phrase]

to escape in order to not get caught or not to be with someone

Ex:

to [bust] a move [phrase]

to leave somewhere, often hastily

Ex: She frequently busts a move when the party starts getting too crowded or overwhelming .

to [make] a move [phrase]

to start to leave a place to get to somewhere else

Ex: The guests made a move to head home after the event ended .

in the wind [phrase]

running away in an attempt not to get caught

Ex: He managed to escape from the prison and was in the wind for several weeks .

into thin air [phrase]

used to refer to a someone or something that suddenly disappears, particularly in a way that is mysterious or suspicious

Ex: The suspect escaped from the room , seemingly melting into thin air .

(disappearing|vanishing) act [phrase]

an instance of someone becoming impossible to find, particularly when they are needed, wanted, or in a difficult or unpleasant situation

Ex: My keys seem to have performed a vanishing act — I ca n't find them anywhere !

to [do] a moonlight flit [phrase]

to leave a place secretly and as fast as one can, particularly in order to avoid paying one's debts

Ex: She 's always talking about doing a moonlight flit , but never actually goes through with it .

to [go] over the wall [phrase]

to manage to escape from a prison

Ex: Last month , two inmates successfully went over the wall and eluded capture for several days .

Society, Law & Politics
According to Rules	Defying Norms	Justice	Injustice
Politics	Political Issues	Punishment	Society
Social Class	Social Norms & Conformity	Leaving or Escaping	Fraud & Swindle