English Lexicon

Pull up stakes

/ˌpʊl ˈʌp steɪks/
verb phraseCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #4500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb phrase
  1. 1

    To pack up one's belongings and move away from a place to live or work in another.

    "After living in the city for twenty years, they decided to pull up stakes and retire to the countryside."
  2. 2

    To abruptly close down an operation, business, or household and relocate.

    "The company threatened to pull up stakes and move its headquarters overseas if taxes were raised."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the literal practice of nomadic or early agrarian settlers pulling up the wooden stakes of their tents or fences when packing up to move to a new location. Dating back to the 17th century in North America and British agrarian life, the term evolved metaphorically to describe leaving a place permanently to establish oneself elsewhere.

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