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

Wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed and Wyatt have already been taken care of this offseason. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Time did the work, the story goes, so the bond takes care of itself. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Finally, don’t skip term life insurance for both working and non-working parents, and take care of estate planning, including a will with guardianship instructions, a power of attorney, and a health care proxy. — Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Regular cleanings can take care of food and residue left behind and create a safer environment for cooking. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 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