turn tail
verb
1 turn tail
Flee; take to one's heels; cut and run.
synonyms: break away, bunk, escape, fly the coop, head for the hills, hightail it, lam, run, run away, scarper, scat, take to the woods ... show more.
Roget 283:
recede,
regrade,
return,
revert,
retreat,
retire;
retrograde,
retrocede;
back out;
back down;
balk;
crawfish [U.S.],
crawl [Slang];
withdraw;
rebound
etc.
277;
go back,
come back,
turn back,
hark back,
draw back,
fall back,
get back,
put back,
run back;
lose ground;
fall astern,
drop astern;
backwater,
put about;
backtrack,
take the back track;
veer round;
double,
wheel,
countermarch;
ebb,
regurgitate;
jib,
shrink,
shy.
turn tail,
turn round,
turn upon one's heel,
turn one's back upon;
retrace one's steps,
dance the back step;
sound a retreat,
beat a retreat;
go home.
... show more
Roget 623:
abstain,
refrain,
spare,
not attempt;
not do
etc.
681;
maintain the even tenor of one's way.
eschew,
keep from,
let alone,
have nothing to do with;
keep aloof keep off,
stand aloof,
stand off,
hold aloof,
hold off;
take no part in,
have no hand in.
avoid,
shun;
steer clear of,
keep clear of;
fight shy of;
keep one's distance,
keep at a respectful distance;
keep out of the way,
get out of the way;
evade,
elude,
turn away from;
set one's face against
etc.
(oppose)
708;
deny oneself.
shrink back;
hang back,
hold back,
draw back;
recoil
etc.
277;
retire
etc.
(recede)
287;
flinch,
blink,
blench,
shy,
shirk,
dodge,
parry,
make way for,
give place to.
beat a retreat;
turn tail,
turn one's back;
take to one's heels;
runaway,
run for one's life;
cut and run;
be off like a shot;
fly,
flee;
fly away,
flee away,
run away from;
take flight,
take to flight;
desert,
elope;
make off,
scamper off,
sneak off,
shuffle off,
sheer off;
break away,
tear oneself away,
slip away,
slink away,
steel away,
make away from,
scamper away from,
sneak away from,
shuffle away from,
sheer away from;
slip cable,
part company,
turn one's heel;
sneak out of,
play truant,
give one the go by,
give leg bail,
take French leave,
slope,
decamp,
flit,
bolt,
abscond,
levant,
skedaddle,
absquatulat [U.S.],
cut one's stick,
walk one's chalks,
show a light pair of heels,
make oneself scarce;
escape
etc.
671;
go away
etc.
(depart)
293;
abandon
etc.
624;
reject
etc.
610.
lead one a dance,
lead one a pretty dance;
throw off the scent,
play at hide and seek.
... show more
Roget 862:
quail
etc.
(fear)
860;
be cowardly
etc.
adj.,
be a coward
etc.
n.;
funk;
cower,
skulk,
sneak;
flinch,
shy,
fight shy,
slink,
turn tail;
run away
etc.
(avoid)
623;
show,
the white feather.
... show more
Dutch: weglopen, vluchten
Moby thesaurus: abscond, absquatulate, beat a retreat, bolt, clear out, come about, cut and run, decamp, depart, desert, elope, fetch about, flee, fly, fugitate, go AWOL, go about, heel, jump, jump bail, levant, make off, pivot, pivot about, put about, round, run, run away, run away from, run away with, run for it, run off, show the heels, skedaddle, skip, skip out, slip the cable, spin, swing, swing round, swivel, take French leave, take flight, take to flight, take wing, turn, turn about, turn around, turn round, veer, veer around, wheel, wheel about, whirl ... show more.
debug info: 0.032