take time
idiom
1
: to need or require time to happen or be done
You have to be patient. Things like this take time.
It may take some time for the medication to wear off.
The meeting won't take too much time.
This job is easy and will take no time at all.
2
or take the time
: to use an amount of time in order to do something important
They never took the time to get to know her.
I took some time to think about it, and my answer is still "no."
Examples of take time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Obviously, a shift to more direct subsidies would take time and work.
—
Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Agents can take time off without worrying about losing clients.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
How often do the protagonists in movies like this take time to call their mothers?
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Aug. 2025
Tensions came to a head recently when their mother asked her to take time off work to accompany her to an immigration appointment.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take time
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.
Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Agents can take time off without worrying about losing clients.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
How often do the protagonists in movies like this take time to call their mothers?
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Aug. 2025
Tensions came to a head recently when their mother asked her to take time off work to accompany her to an immigration appointment.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take time
Cite this Entry
“Take time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20time. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share