up stakes

up stakes

1. To pack up and leave a campsite. After a week of roughing it in the countryside, we finally upped stakes and decided to stay in a bed and breakfast for the night before going back home.
2. By extension, to leave one's place of residence or employment and relocate elsewhere. I've loved living in the city, but now that we have a baby on the way, it's time to up stakes and find somewhere more affordable. I always told myself that I would up stakes after spending five years working for the company.
See also: stake, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

up stakes

to prepare for leaving and then leave. (Up has the force of a verb here. The phrase suggests pulling up tent stakes in preparation for departure.) They just upped stakes and left without saying good-bye. It's that time of the year when I feel like upping stakes and moving to the country.
See also: stake, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

up stakes

tv. to prepare for leaving and then leave. (Up has the force of a verb here. The phrase suggests pulling up tent stakes in preparation for departure.) It’s that time of the year when I feel like upping stakes and moving to the country.
See also: stake, up
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • pull up stakes
  • pull up stakes, to
  • make the bed
  • make the bed (up)
  • from hell to breakfast
  • a dog's breakfast/dinner
  • brekkie
  • break camp
  • a dog's breakfast
  • up the ante
References in periodicals archive
The billionaire has a history of snapping up stakes in struggling high street firms.
has of up stakes high firms Meanwhile, Mr Ashley has declared Sports Direct to be on track to become the "Selfridges of sport", through its new generation of stores.
its 13.25% The billionaire has a history of snapping up stakes in struggling high street firms
Mr Ashley has a history of snapping up stakes in struggling high street firms.