take five
idiomatic phrase
variants
or take ten
US, informal
: to take a brief break (as from work)
They're locked in a fierce debate over the last scene of their film … when camp director and Hollywood veteran Sam Dalton finally orders them to take five.—
Megan Myers
Megan MyersParry Aftab, the executive director of WiredSafety.org, offers these tips for dealing with troubling messages. … Take five. Instead of replying to a message that upsets you, step away and do something you enjoy for five minutes.—Nicole Iorio
Nicole IorioI could see his anger had nearly boiled over. … Coach Colby, who ran the defense, was the brave soul who stepped in. "Take ten," he said, placing a hand on Orlando's chest. "Cool off. Then suit up and meet at the fifty-yard line. Got it?"—Brandon Terrell
Brandon TerrellExamples of take five in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once water is turned off, the repair work will take five to eight hours.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
The Amtrak ride between Detroit and Chicago takes five hours, and New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, takes four—each perhaps more appealing than getting to the airport at least an hour ahead of your flight, which may well be delayed anyway.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 15 Nov. 2025
Denegal has completed under 60 percent of his passes this year, and he's taken five sacks and thrown five interceptions, with just one touchdown, in his last three games.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
The 5-second video took five minutes to produce.
—PC Magazine, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
The Amtrak ride between Detroit and Chicago takes five hours, and New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, takes four—each perhaps more appealing than getting to the airport at least an hour ahead of your flight, which may well be delayed anyway.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 15 Nov. 2025
Denegal has completed under 60 percent of his passes this year, and he's taken five sacks and thrown five interceptions, with just one touchdown, in his last three games.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
The 5-second video took five minutes to produce.
—PC Magazine, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
Cite this Entry
“Take five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20five. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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