# make like a tree and leave

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/make-like-a-tree-and-leave
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To leave, depart.

## Examples

- This party is boring, so let's make like a tree and leave.
- The movie was terrible, so we decided to make like a tree and leave before the final scene.
- Realizing the conversation had turned hostile, he chose to make like a tree and leave rather than engage in a pointless argument.

## Origin

A pun on the double meaning of leave, functioning as both the verb to depart and the verb to produce leaves, or the noun leaf. The expression relies upon the phonetic identity of the two terms to achieve its effect.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.