take on
verb
took on; taken on; taking on; takes on
1
a
: to begin to perform or deal with : undertake
took on new responsibilities
b
: to contend with as an opponent
took on the neighborhood bully
3
a
: to assume or acquire as or as if one's own
the city's plaza takes on a carnival air—
W. T. LeViness
W. T. LeViness
b
: to have as a mathematical domain or range
what values does the function take on
: to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way
she cried, and took on like a distracted body—Daniel Defoe
Daniel DefoeExamples of take on in a Sentence
will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate
decided to take her on as store manager
Recent Examples on the Web
Upcoming Sarah Snook-starring thriller series All Her Fault and Lena Dunham rom-com show Too Much, as well as a planned TV take on Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds got big shout-outs during SXSW London on Thursday.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
The White House criticism set the tone for its take on higher education institutions.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
The topic has taken on a life of its own since the Florida Panthers clinched their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 5 June 2025
In this political moment, Davis feels like her business has taken on a heightened sense of purpose and mission, especially with anti-trans legislation and sentiment rising across the United States.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
The White House criticism set the tone for its take on higher education institutions.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
The topic has taken on a life of its own since the Florida Panthers clinched their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 5 June 2025
In this political moment, Davis feels like her business has taken on a heightened sense of purpose and mission, especially with anti-trans legislation and sentiment rising across the United States.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
Cite this Entry
“Take on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20on. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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