TAKE UP Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

take up

verb

Definition of take up

as in to lift

to move from a lower to a higher place or position please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to drink

to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to borrow

to take for one's own use (something originated by another) one cluster of fans started chanting the team name of the champions, and the crowd quickly took up the cry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of take up The lower box, which takes up most of the carton's side, has an 89-word message that makes the case that most people want their governments to take climate action and that doing so could lead to political wins. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 Hale had been unsuccessfully urging governors, congressmen, and even prior presidents to take up this task—for decades. — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 30, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 All this heat has huge ripple effects, driving marine heat waves, fueling stronger and more destructive storms, damaging marine life and increasing sea level rise, both by melting ice and because warmer water takes up more space. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 And some Republicans are pushing to take up other bills to address voters' frustrations with the cost of living. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for take up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for take up

Verb

The technology that investors and governments are counting on to lift the global economy is also adding pressure that threatens growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund said, urging policymakers to stop delaying painful choices on debt.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
From setting up special meals to just brightening days with smiles and genuine care, the staff here lift the already luxury experience to the next level.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

Next year’s preliminary budget shows the kingdom is willing to keep borrowing to bolster its defenses and build trade routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
There are a lot of good reasons for businesses to borrow money instead of pursuing private capital.

— Frank Williamson, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrow

Verb

Key justices appeared wary about the potential sweep of litigation, but torn over the complex questions of federal and state law raised by the case.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Boat trips to Capri and Positano are on the doorstep, as are hair-raising Vespa tours on hairpin roads and private visits to Pompei and Herculaneum.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

Shoppers filed a class action against the company in May, and its finance chief has said Amazon largely absorbed tariff costs rather than passing them on.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
The joint, which makes AI tools developed by and intended for filmmakers from essentially open source beginnings, saw its staff of less than 20 absorbed into the streamer and Affleck on board as an advisor.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorb

Verb

Meta called on others like YouTube and TikTok to adopt similar parameters for their platforms.

— Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Firms like Edward Jones and LPL Financial, meanwhile, are rapidly adopting AI tools to gain financial insights, but also to better understand and communicate with their customers.

— Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of adopt

Verb

Seeking new crypto money, Christie’s and Sotheby’s cut all other legitimizing actors out of the loop with NFTs, elevating what might previously have been categorized as illustration, graphic art, or a social media meme to the status of fine art.

— Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Leave it to Skip Rutherford to elevate the level of public discourse.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevate

Verb

While the lobby is trés analogue, the rooms embrace modernity, and each features a lounge area that combines midcentury-modern furniture with art that evokes grunge-era irreverence.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Lisa embraced the wedge heel comeback at Louis Vuitton‘s spring 2027 show on Tuesday with a pair of sculptural wedges popular among guests at the Paris event.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of embrace

Cite this Entry

Style

“Take up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20up. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of take up

verb

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