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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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English idioms related to Society, Law & Politics
to [take] to {one's} heels

to begin to leave somewhere by running fast

Ex: When the guard shouted, the boys took to their heels. 
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the bird has flown

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

Ex: By the time the police arrived, the bird had flown. 
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AWOL
AWOL
[Adjective]

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

Ex: The sergeant reported that two soldiers had gone AWOL overnight. 
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to [go] south
to go south
[phrase]

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

Ex: After the argument, he decided to go south before anyone could confront him. 
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on the run
on the run
[phrase]

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

Ex: The suspect has been on the run for over a week. 
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to [go] to ground

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

Ex: After the scandal broke, the CEO went to ground to avoid the press. 
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to [give] {sb} the slip

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

Ex: The thief gave the police the slip by sneaking out the back door. 
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to [bust] a move

to leave somewhere, often hastily

Ex: We should bust a move before the traffic gets worse. 
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to [make] a move

to start to leave a place to get to somewhere else

Ex: It's getting late, so we should make a move. 
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in the wind
in the wind
[phrase]

running away in an attempt not to get caught

Ex: The robber was in the wind before the police arrived. 
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into thin air

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

Ex: The witness vanished into thin air before the trial. 
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(disappearing|vanishing) act

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

Ex: He pulled a disappearing act right when we needed him most. 
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to [do] a moonlight flit

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

Ex: The tenant did a moonlight flit before the landlord could collect the overdue rent. 
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to [jump] ship
to jump ship
[phrase]

to leave a group, project, or situation when things become difficult

Ex: Several employees jumped ship after the merger. 
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to [go] over the wall

to manage to escape from a prison

Ex: Three inmates went over the wall during the night. 
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