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
With current gas turbine backlogs, a natural gas plant can take five years and nuclear a decade or more.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
Adelaide 2021 is still the marker, where the 29-year-old took five for 42 in the Ashes, and he is expected to return to full fitness before the end of the series.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Pastrnak took five shots on the night, all of which were blocked.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Jalen Kitna finished with 261 passing yards and a touchdown but took five sacks, while Solomon Beebe scored two touchdowns on the ground.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
Adelaide 2021 is still the marker, where the 29-year-old took five for 42 in the Ashes, and he is expected to return to full fitness before the end of the series.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Pastrnak took five shots on the night, all of which were blocked.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Jalen Kitna finished with 261 passing yards and a touchdown but took five sacks, while Solomon Beebe scored two touchdowns on the ground.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2025.
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