take care

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

Patients 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.

I'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

In this land of ritual, Westerners should take care to inform themselves of protocol.

—Jeff Morgan

Open 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

Examples of take care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Make sure the lighting, framing, and background are handled and the car’s details will take care of themselves. — Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

She’s coped in life by using other people to take care of her in many different ways. — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026

Sonya spent her days taking care of the household—her husband, Yong-gil, their two sons, and the Chairman. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

Also, take care to keep potatoes away from onions, as onions release ethylene gas, which speeds up the sprouting process. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for take care

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware