take a/its toll
idiom
: to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something : to cause harm or damage
If you keep working so hard, the stress will eventually take its toll.
—often + onToo much sunlight can take a (heavy) toll on your skin.
Her illness has taken a toll on her marriage.
Examples of take a/its toll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Constantly monitoring blood sugar levels and administering insulin injections can take a toll both physically and mentally.
—
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The grind of the position seemed to take a toll on the Rojas last year.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
The higher bond yields and the postponement of any rate cuts continue to take a toll on some of the interest rate sensitive sectors of the market, like banks, utilities, and real estate.
—Bill Stone, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Vengeance, no matter how righteous, can take a toll.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Doing both, however, can take its toll, especially with a demanding tour schedule.
—Pam Windsor, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
How Ozempic and Wegovy Can Affect Your Gut Ozempic and Wegovy, or semaglutide, can take a toll on a person’s gastrointestinal system due to how the drug functions in the body.
—Kristen Fischer, Health, 15 Mar. 2024
How much did the season take its toll on Bailey last year?
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024
Even as adults, depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses can impact the brain’s ability to function, while emotional trauma, such as domestic violence, rape, loss of a child, spouse or job can also flood the brain with caustic stress hormones that take a toll over time.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The grind of the position seemed to take a toll on the Rojas last year.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
The higher bond yields and the postponement of any rate cuts continue to take a toll on some of the interest rate sensitive sectors of the market, like banks, utilities, and real estate.
—Bill Stone, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Vengeance, no matter how righteous, can take a toll.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Doing both, however, can take its toll, especially with a demanding tour schedule.
—Pam Windsor, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
How Ozempic and Wegovy Can Affect Your Gut Ozempic and Wegovy, or semaglutide, can take a toll on a person’s gastrointestinal system due to how the drug functions in the body.
—Kristen Fischer, Health, 15 Mar. 2024
How much did the season take its toll on Bailey last year?
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024
Even as adults, depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses can impact the brain’s ability to function, while emotional trauma, such as domestic violence, rape, loss of a child, spouse or job can also flood the brain with caustic stress hormones that take a toll over time.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take a/its toll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Take a/its toll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%2Fits%20toll. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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