take a breath

idiom

: to pause and rest
(US) I've barely had time to (stop and/to) take a breath since they got here.
(British) I've barely had time to draw breath since they got here.

Examples of take a breath in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
However, First Amendment advocates urge people to take a breath and not fall into a behavior nonconductive to free expression. Cate Charron, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025 Just ask those teams, and in the meantime, take a breath. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025 Anyway, Laurel tells her to take a breath, then hop on the next flight home. Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2025 Being able to step back, take a breath and explore a situation holistically goes a long way toward gaining clarity in decision-making. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take a breath

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take a breath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20breath. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!