take advantage of

idiomatic phrase

1

: to make good use of (something) : to profit by (something)

take advantage of an opportunity

We took advantage of the warm weather and did some yard work.

2

a

: to impose on (someone) : to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone)

After a while, I began to think she was taking advantage of me.

He felt like he'd been taken advantage of.

b

: to use (something or someone) unfairly for personal gain

He took advantage of [=exploited] my lack of experience.

It adds that young people in care homes, with learning disabilities, those excluded from school or using drugs or alcohol are particularly vulnerable to being targeted by people who take advantage of them for money, food or drugs.

—Stephen Naysmith

c

: to exploit (someone) sexually

The star shared her experiences of Hollywood bosses who tried to take advantage of her in the early days of her career.

—The Belfast Telegraph Online

Examples of take advantage of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cal led 39-25 at halftime, taking advantage of nine Stanford turnovers. —Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2026

Instead, authorities say, the influx of money and visitors creates conditions that traffickers look to take advantage of. —Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

And a Knicks team that couldn’t take advantage of its glaring size advantage started the night just 1-of-16 from downtown in a 6-of-31 three-point shooting performance on the night. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026

Ironically, many Chinese firms also take advantage of the same federal subsidies offered through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for take advantage of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove