1
general::
Move away, leave one's home, job, or country. For example, We've lived here for years, but now it's time to pull up stakes. This expression alludes to the stakes that mark property boundaries. [Early 1800s]
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): pull up stakes
1. Lit. to pull up tent stakes to take down a tent in preparation to leaving. • Let’s pull up stakes and head home before the storm hits. 2. Fig. to end one’s ties to a particular place; to get ready to move away from a place where one has lived or worked for a long time. • Even after all these years, pulling up stakes is easier than you think. • It’s time to pull up stakes and move on.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs