Takes a powder' is an idiom that means to leave quickly or abruptly. The crossword solutions for this term are 'BOLTS, ' which means to move quickly and unexpectedly; 'SCRAMS, ' which means to leave in a hurry; 'FLEES, ' which means to run away; 'lams, ' which means to run away quickly; 'talcs, ' which is a type of powder; 'skipsout, ' which means to leave suddenly; and 'skipstown, ' which means to leave a place quickly.