Definition

Verb: * To leave a place very quickly, often in a hurry or to escape something. This word strongly implies a sense of urgency and speed in departure.

Usage

• The verb "hightail" is almost always used with the word "it" in the phrase "hightail it".
• It is an informal, idiomatic expression.
• It describes a sudden and rapid exit from a location.

Examples

• Verb:
  • When the storm clouds rolled in, we decided to hightail it back to the car.
  • The deer saw us and hightailed it into the woods.
  • You should hightail it out of here before the boss sees you.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be used in various tenses by conjugating the verb "hightail":
  • Past: They hightailed it out of town.
  • Present Continuous: We are hightailing it to the airport right now.
  • Imperative: Hightail it! The security guard is coming!

Variants and Related Words

• Hightailing (gerund/noun): The act of leaving quickly.
  • Their hightailing from the scene looked very suspicious.

Synonyms

• Flee: To run away from danger.
• Scram: A very informal word meaning to leave immediately.
• Beat a hasty retreat: To withdraw quickly.
• Make a run for it: To try to escape by running.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Hightail it out (of): An extended, emphatic form of the phrase.
  • We need to hightail it out of this neighborhood before it gets dark.

Related Idioms

• Take to one's heels: To start running away.
  • The thief took to his heels when the alarm sounded. (This is a synonym for the action described by "hightail it").

Verb

1. leave as fast as possible
   • We hightailed it when we saw the police walking in