1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
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
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Recent Examples of take up
Parenting, being a wife, and even being an employee all take up so much of my identity.
—
Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Oct. 2025
Own your power, say it out loud and never apologize for taking up space.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 10 Oct. 2025
The plays took up two minutes of game time and resulted in a Jalen Hurts touchdown that put the reigning Super Bowl champions ahead 17-13.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Unlike espresso machines that can take up precious counter space, this type of model is typically the size of a tea kettle.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take up
Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Oct. 2025
Own your power, say it out loud and never apologize for taking up space.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 10 Oct. 2025
The plays took up two minutes of game time and resulted in a Jalen Hurts touchdown that put the reigning Super Bowl champions ahead 17-13.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Unlike espresso machines that can take up precious counter space, this type of model is typically the size of a tea kettle.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take up
Verb
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The fragrance opens with this bright, fizzy combination of raspberry, orange flower, and mandarin that immediately lifts your mood.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
10 Oct. 2025
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Eight, maybe nine years removed from swiping worms from the corner store and lifting loose change from cars in the mall parking lot.—
Allen Iverson,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2005, LifeStraw offered a clever aid to help more people drink safe water.—
Merrill Fabry,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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City Tavern had opened the previous year, backed by a group of wealthy Philadelphians who’d decided there was no place in town that met their standards for decent food and drink.—
Victoria Flexner,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To borrow a cliche, the M’s feel like the team of destiny.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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In the novel, Laura knocks on the door, hoping to borrow mascara, and the girl in question answers the door, even lending her the mascara.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In November, Jackson terminated Gatlin for swindling millions of dollars from the Foundation as executives privately reeled over her betrayal of the hospital system’s fundraising arm, which raises tens of millions to benefit Jackson’s patients.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
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Experts at Sweetbriar said the effort was not just about saving one insect but also about raising awareness.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gustafson moved her feet, absorbed the bump from Thomas and kept her arms vertical.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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In other words, students prepare for citizenship in a disputatious society by practicing the civic arts—by asserting and advocating for their views—not by meekly absorbing lessons from their instructors.—
Christopher L. Eisgruber,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Once again, in adopting a currency board, a country keeps its own currency and central bank.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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The nation’s highest court also adopted an ethics code to guide the justices after fierce criticism over undisclosed gifts, trips and other scandals, although there is no real means of enforcing either.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After the Browns traded veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this week, fans and pundits speculated whether Sanders would even be elevated to the second-string job, or remain in the third-string role behind Bailey Zappe.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
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Trocheck was elevated to alternate status after taking on many captain duties without the formal title last season, enshrining the Pittsburgh youth hockey legends as the leading voices in New York’s locker room.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But that’s exactly what the 48-year-old CEO advises that Gen Zers today, who are struggling to get a footing and even getting fired months into new roles, should embrace.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
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Such precipitous emotional hurdles are just the right height for television, and co-showrunners Andy Parker and Jennifer Cecil embrace the self-doubting turmoil of Cameron’s arduous coming-of-age arc.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Take up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20up. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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