# took off

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/took-off
Updated: 2026-08-05

## Definition

to leave the ground and begin to fly, or to leave a place suddenly. You can also use it to describe a business or idea that becomes successful very quickly.

For teachers: to become airborne; to depart a location abruptly; or to experience a rapid increase in popularity or success. Intransitive in these senses, though the transitive form 'take off' (to remove) is distinct.

## Examples

- The plane took off on time despite the snow.
- After the celebrity shared the video, the new app took off and gained millions of users overnight.
- The startup's valuation took off following the successful series A funding round, exceeding all initial market projections.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The plane took off the ground." but "The plane took off." — in the sense of flying, 'take off' is intransitive and does not require 'the ground' as an object.

## Usage notes

- used without a direct object when referring to flight or sudden success.
- Teaching tip: distinguish between the intransitive 'success' sense and the transitive 'remove clothing' sense; the past tense 'took' is a common irregular verb check for A2 learners.

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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.