English / Multiple meanings / take off
1
plane leaves the ground When a plane leaves the ground and starts flying.
2
become successful To suddenly become popular or successful.
3
remove clothing To remove a piece of clothing from your body.
4
take time away from work To spend time away from work or school, usually for rest or personal reasons.
5
leave suddenly To leave a place quickly and unexpectedly, often without warning or explanation.
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Read the sentence, then pick the meaning that's in play.
All meanings, in depth
Ordered by how often you'll hear each one — the meaning tells you what it does, the examples and tips show it in use.
When a plane leaves the ground and starts flying.
The plane will take off in a few minutes.
A: What time does your flight take off?
During my last holiday, our flight took off late because of bad weather.
Common mistake
✗ The plane took off at Gatwick.
✓ The plane took off from Gatwick.
For the departure point use 'take off FROM a place'; 'at' is only for the time.
Tell it apart
The plane took off on time.
left the ground The brand really took off.
became successful Use 'take off' when talking about airplanes starting to fly, not other vehicles. Not the same as 'land', which means to come down to the ground.
Often paired with
take off + flight
To suddenly become popular or successful.
Her online business really took off last year.
A: Have you heard about that new app?
Social media platforms have taken off in recent years, changing the way people communicate.
Common mistake
✗ Her channel took off successfully.
✓ Her channel really took off.
'Take off' already means become successful — don't add 'successfully'. Use 'really' for emphasis.
Tell it apart
The startup took off after the launch.
became successful The plane took off after a delay.
left the ground Use this for things like businesses, ideas, or trends that grow quickly. Different from 'start', which just means to begin.
Often paired with
take off + success
To remove a piece of clothing from your body.
Please take off your shoes before entering the house.
A: It's really hot in here.
In my culture, we always take off our shoes when we visit someone's home.
Common mistake
✗ Take off your shoes off at the door.
✓ Take your shoes off at the door. / Take off your shoes at the door.
'Take off' is separable — say it once: 'take your shoes off' OR 'take off your shoes'.
Tell it apart
Take your coat off — it's warm in here.
remove clothing The plane took off on time.
left the ground Use 'take off' for clothes, shoes, glasses, etc. Opposite of 'put on', which means to wear something.
Often paired with
take off + clothing
To spend time away from work or school, usually for rest or personal reasons.
I'm going to take off next Friday to visit my family.
A: You look tired. Why don't you take a day off?
Many people take time off work to travel or spend time with their families.
Common mistake
✗ I took off two days for the wedding.
✓ I took two days off for the wedding. / I took two days off work.
More natural as 'take [time] off (work)' — the amount sits between 'take' and 'off'.
Tell it apart
I took a few days off to recover.
time away from work The plane took off late.
left the ground Use 'take off' with a period of time, like 'a day', 'a week', or 'some time'. Not the same as 'quit', which means to stop working completely.
Often paired with
take + time + off
5
C1 take off from somewhere spoken informal
To leave a place quickly and unexpectedly, often without warning or explanation.
As soon as the police arrived, the crowd took off in all directions.
A: Where did Sam go? He was just here.
During the protest, several participants took off when they saw the authorities approaching, which made it difficult to identify everyone involved.
Common mistake
✗ He took off himself early.
✓ He took off early.
It's intransitive here — don't add 'himself'.
Tell it apart
He took off after lunch.
left abruptly Her business took off.
suddenly grew/succeeded This sense is informal and common in spoken English. It is used when someone leaves a place very quickly, often without telling others or without warning. Avoid using it in formal writing. Unlike the B1 sense of 'take off' meaning a plane leaving the ground, or the B2 sense of 'become successful', this sense is about a person or group leaving a place suddenly and unexpectedly. It is figurative and informal.
Often paired with
take off + departure
Turn this into speaking practice
Practise one meaning at a time and save the ones you mix up for review.