take five
idiomatic phrase
variants
or take ten
US, informal
: to take a brief break (as from work)
They're locked in a fierce debate over the last scene of their film … when camp director and Hollywood veteran Sam Dalton finally orders them to take five.—
Megan Myers
Megan MyersParry Aftab, the executive director of WiredSafety.org, offers these tips for dealing with troubling messages. … Take five. Instead of replying to a message that upsets you, step away and do something you enjoy for five minutes.—Nicole Iorio
Nicole IorioI could see his anger had nearly boiled over. … Coach Colby, who ran the defense, was the brave soul who stepped in. "Take ten," he said, placing a hand on Orlando's chest. "Cool off. Then suit up and meet at the fifty-yard line. Got it?"—Brandon Terrell
Brandon TerrellExamples of take five in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Pine Tree State absolutely dominated this year, taking five of the 10 spots, including the first place winner, Quisisana Resort, located in Lovell, and hotels in Cape Elizabeth and Waterville.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Think of it as an acronym with digestible actionable items: T — take breaks often, A — actively engage in just one task at hand, K — keep distractions to a minimum, E — eliminate multitasking and F — take five minutes to refocus by having a mini workout, doing mindfulness or a fun activity.
—Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 7 July 2025
After growing hellebores in my garden for 40 years, and after proselytizing about cutting back the foliage before first flowering to make the process take five minutes rather than two hours . . .
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Fill out this online application, which should take five minutes or less, and once approved, your shiny new card will be on its way to you.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Think of it as an acronym with digestible actionable items: T — take breaks often, A — actively engage in just one task at hand, K — keep distractions to a minimum, E — eliminate multitasking and F — take five minutes to refocus by having a mini workout, doing mindfulness or a fun activity.
—Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 7 July 2025
After growing hellebores in my garden for 40 years, and after proselytizing about cutting back the foliage before first flowering to make the process take five minutes rather than two hours . . .
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Fill out this online application, which should take five minutes or less, and once approved, your shiny new card will be on its way to you.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
Cite this Entry
“Take five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20five. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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