What is another way to say "took off"?

So, you're wondering about ways to say "took off," huh? It's a pretty common phrase, right? I mean, we all know what it means when someone takes off in a plane – whoosh! Gone! But it can mean so much more, which is kind of cool, actually.

It got me thinking about that time my sister "took off" to college – like, literally hopped on a bus and poof, she was gone. Leaving me with all her stuff. I swear, it felt like she'd actually taken off into space, leaving me to navigate the mountain of clothes and half-eaten cereal she'd left behind. That was depart in action, I guess. Or maybe leave. It was both, really.

Then there's the whole "taking off" in a career sense. Remember when my friend suddenly took off as a freelance graphic designer? He just kinda...started getting tons of clients. Boom. Success. That's more like a start or maybe even head out on a new path, don't you think? It wasn't a dramatic departure like my sister's, but it was a definite "taking off."

And, let's be honest, sometimes I feel like my day just took off – a whirlwind, you know? Projects flying everywhere, emails piling up. Sometimes I feel like I'm barely hanging on. I guess that might be a set off – setting off a chain of events, completely unplanned and probably a little chaotic. Ha!

So, yeah, "took off" is pretty versatile. I think you'd find that 'depart,' 'leave,' 'set off,' 'start' and 'head out' all cover pretty much what it implies. It depends entirely on the context, right? It all comes down to the situation, doesn't it?