take by storm, to
take (someone, something, or some place) by storm
1. To conquer, seize, or lay siege to something, someone, or some place with a sudden and furious attack. The invaders took the castle by storm. The SWAT team smashed the door down and took the gunman by storm.
2. To win or gain huge and widespread success or popularity very rapidly. There's a new fad among kids and teens that is taking the country by storm. The sleep therapy technique for children has taken parents around the world by storm.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
take someone or something by storm
1. Fig. to conquer someone or something in a fury. The army took city after city by storm. They crashed in and took the general by storm.
2. Fig. to succeed overwhelmingly with someone, some place, or a group. The singing star took the audience in each town by storm. The star took the critics by storm.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
take by storm
Make a vivid impression on, quickly win popular acclaim or renown, as in The new rock group took the town by storm. This usage transfers the original military meaning of the phrase, "assault in a violent attack," to more peaceful endeavors. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
take by storm
To captivate completely: a new play that took New York City by storm.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
take by storm, to
To become quickly famous or popular. The term originally came from the military, where to storm meant to lay siege to a fortified position. By the late nineteenth century, however, the term had been extended to mean winning renown or popular acclaim. Thus Augustus Jessop wrote (The Coming of the Friars, 1889), “The Franciscans . . . were taking the world by storm.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer