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
Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine crusader before taking on the nation's top health post, has linked vaccines to autism and sought to rewrite the country's immunization policies.
—Reuters, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
On Monday night before the team took on the Kansas City Chiefs, Hunter and Combs embraced each other and took a photo on the field prior to kickoff.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Duffy said controllers are concerned about working without pay during the shutdown, with some considering taking on second jobs, like calling in sick to drive for Uber.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Known for their sculptural takes on steel and silver, Georg Jensen gives your produce a more stylish place to rest with this swooping bowl.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take on
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Reuters, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
On Monday night before the team took on the Kansas City Chiefs, Hunter and Combs embraced each other and took a photo on the field prior to kickoff.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Duffy said controllers are concerned about working without pay during the shutdown, with some considering taking on second jobs, like calling in sick to drive for Uber.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Known for their sculptural takes on steel and silver, Georg Jensen gives your produce a more stylish place to rest with this swooping bowl.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2025.
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