take care
idiomatic phrase
1
: to be careful or watchful : to exercise caution or prudence
Because fish is more delicate than beef, take care when pounding it thin.—
Sam Gugino
Sam GuginoPatients also should take care in storing their drugs because heat exposure could affect their efficacy, [Aaron] Bernstein says.—Marlene Cimons
—often used informally to express good wishes when parting, at the end of a message, etc.Marlene CimonsI'll see you next week. Take care!
2
: to give particular attention to doing or not doing something
When he had finished writing, Cluny pushed the parchment under his pillow, taking care to leave just a small corner of it jutting out.—Brian Jacques
Brian JacquesIn this land of ritual, Westerners should take care to inform themselves of protocol.—Jeff Morgan
Jeff MorganOpen oysters carefully just before they are required, taking care not to spill the liquor in their deep shells.—Elizabeth Craig
see also take care of
Elizabeth CraigExamples of take care in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When the value is clear, the budget conversation takes care of itself.
—Ryan Dohrn, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
So, after a few laundry-less days, a local HVAC company arrived to take care of the situation.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
Here, in Paris, Leila (Abbass), a former concert pianist from Aleppo, takes care of Georges, a former French diplomat now nearing the end of life.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 14 July 2025
The grandma urged people to take care of themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for take care
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ryan Dohrn, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
So, after a few laundry-less days, a local HVAC company arrived to take care of the situation.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
Here, in Paris, Leila (Abbass), a former concert pianist from Aleppo, takes care of Georges, a former French diplomat now nearing the end of life.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 14 July 2025
The grandma urged people to take care of themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for take care
Cite this Entry
“Take care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20care. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share