take on

1 to enter into contest or conflict with <will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate> Synonyms battle, encounter, face, meet, engageRelated Words emulate, rival; contend, fight, opposeNear Antonyms elude, escape, evade; retreat

2 to provide with a paying job <decided to take her on as store manager> Synonyms assume, engage, fee [chiefly Scottish], hire, lay on [chiefly British], pay, place, recruit, retain, sign (up or on), employRelated Words reemploy, reengage, rehire; apprentice, contract, job, partner, subcontract; enlist; advance, promote, upgrade; keep (on); headhunt, scoutNear Antonyms furlough, lay off, lock outAntonyms ax (or axe), can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

3 to take for one's own use (something originated by another) <recently arrived immigrants who are eager to take on the language and culture of their adopted homeland> Synonyms borrow, embrace, espouse, adopt, take upRelated Words domesticate, naturalize; appropriate, arrogate, take over, usurp; absorb, assimilate, incorporate, quote; cherish, prize, treasure; cultivate, follow, heed, honor; use, utilize; bring up, foster, nurture, raise, rear; affect, assume, copy, imitate, pretend, put on, simulateNear Antonyms abandon, forsake, give up, relinquish, surrender; abjure, abnegate, disown; reject, renounce, repudiate, spurn; discard, jettison, junk, throw away, throw out