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
Relevance
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
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
In the Broadway transfer, Benjamin Walker took up the post.
—
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Expenses that once took up 88% of household income now consume nearly all of it.
—Gary Labarbera, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Gold’s higher price per ounce means a large dollar amount takes up relatively little space.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
According to Retraced, manual document checks tied to a single purchase order can take up to 90 minutes.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take up
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Expenses that once took up 88% of household income now consume nearly all of it.
—Gary Labarbera, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Gold’s higher price per ounce means a large dollar amount takes up relatively little space.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
According to Retraced, manual document checks tied to a single purchase order can take up to 90 minutes.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take up
Verb
-
The war in Iran is lifting the fortunes of oil producers in Latin America who aren’t vulnerable to the Strait of Hormuz closure.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The addition of Crosby was supposed to be the piece to help lift the Ravens over the top, with the draft picks expected to be part of a rebuilding effort for the Raiders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Food and drink Adjacent to the lobby is Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant by José Andrés.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While the traditional pageboy bob is a bit shorter (usually skimming the jaw, à la Hadid’s recent chop), Margot Robbie’s version borrows its unstructured shape and soft layering.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The trend is already changing the stakes for businesses that have traditionally had no need to borrow, introducing a new layer of stakeholders, obligations, and risks that are transforming how internet companies operate and how they are valued by investors.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Moïse, who said she was born and raised in Haiti and had lived at the family home since 2015, described having as many as 30 to 50 guards around the home at all times.—
Tania Francois,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Another audience member sensitively played Sam, the narrator’s love of his life, a relationship that reveals the long-term toll of being raised by a parent suffering from suicidal depression.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When there’s an intervening cloud of neutral matter in the way, for example, the original signal will be partially absorbed at a specific set of wavelengths by that matter.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Freeny absorbed the impact like Marvin Hagler, hardly flinching and brushing it off.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Vietnam's Ministry for Industry and Trade encouraged businesses to adopt remote working arrangements and reduce travel and transport demand to ensure national energy security.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Mikala grew up taking annual family trips to Austin to visit her grandmother, an Austinite since 1975, and has fully adopted the Texas lifestyle since moving to the Lone Star State in 2018.—
Mikala Compton,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This faux leather midi skirt is elegant and can be elevated with a crisp white shirt or cashmere cardigan.—
Alexandra Pereira,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Wise’s essential deployment of tension is absent without the compressed grain that elevates it.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For her appearance, Kate embraced a business casual aesthetic, wearing a gray Prince of Wales check blazer from Catherine Walker over a sky blue button-down, paired with black pants and coordinating black heeled boots.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
-
And despite how much employers might hate job-hopping, most professionals have been embracing it as a useful career tool.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Take up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20up. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
