take on
verb
took on; taken on; taking on; takes on
1
a
: to begin to perform or deal with : undertake
took on new responsibilities
b
: to contend with as an opponent
took on the neighborhood bully
3
a
: to assume or acquire as or as if one's own
the city's plaza takes on a carnival air—
W. T. LeViness
W. T. LeViness
b
: to have as a mathematical domain or range
what values does the function take on
: to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way
she cried, and took on like a distracted body—Daniel Defoe
Daniel DefoeExamples of take on in a Sentence
will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate
decided to take her on as store manager
Recent Examples on the Web
The Context The couple's last public appearance was at the Super Bowl LIX in February, when the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles and lost 40-22.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
The film follows Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, who takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda – one of the world’s most beloved endangered species.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2025
That was another challenge the actor enjoyed taking on.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Harmeet Dhillon calls on conservative lawyers to take on more civil rights cases
His candidacy to lead the largest bar in the country, which boasts over 120,000 members, has sparked criticism from Democrats.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
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Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
The film follows Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, who takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda – one of the world’s most beloved endangered species.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2025
That was another challenge the actor enjoyed taking on.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Harmeet Dhillon calls on conservative lawyers to take on more civil rights cases
His candidacy to lead the largest bar in the country, which boasts over 120,000 members, has sparked criticism from Democrats.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
Cite this Entry
“Take on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20on. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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