take long
idiom
: to require a large amount of time
It won't take long to make dinner.
This is taking longer than I thought (it would).
Hurry up. You're taking too long.
Examples of take long in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Supporters would not respond well to such triumphalism if defeats come more regularly, and as his predecessor Gary O’Neil found, such feel-good sentiments do not take long to dissipate.
—
Steve Madeley, New York Times, 3 May 2025
On Tuesday, the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lake County election officials said the vote counts shouldn’t take long.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2025
For example, washing your hands more won't take long.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 21 Apr. 2025
Maybe not, but ideally for the Packers, that wouldn’t take long.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take long
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.
Steve Madeley, New York Times, 3 May 2025
On Tuesday, the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lake County election officials said the vote counts shouldn’t take long.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2025
For example, washing your hands more won't take long.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 21 Apr. 2025
Maybe not, but ideally for the Packers, that wouldn’t take long.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take long
Cite this Entry
“Take long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20long. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share