take time out
idiom
: to stop doing what one is doing in order to do something else for a while
—usually used with from
She took time out from her career to raise her children.
Examples of take time out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Journalists and retailers from around the world take time out to make an annual pilgrimage to the company’s Rue du Rhone salon to view the Rare Handcrafts collection, and, by the way, anyone is welcome to stop by and take the tour.
—
Carol Besler, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2023
Did Mayor Gloria take time out from ribbon-cutting and sampling Petco’s cuisine?
—Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2022
Mothers often take time out of the workforce, which can also lead to pay setbacks.
—Sarah Chaney Cambon and Ana Rivas, WSJ, 21 Mar. 2022
Word of Trump coming to town was enough to motivate Jen Kuhnle, a Janesville nurse, to recently take time out of her brief lunch break to pick up a yard sign for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
—Bill Ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, 17 Oct. 2020
Take a minute today to empathize with the 489 Porsche Carrera GT owners who will need to take time out of their busy days to schedule a dealership appointment.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 11 Apr. 2023
During your party, take time out for your girlfriends to write appreciation notes.
—Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 19 Dec. 2022
Second of all, literally who are these people who take time out of their day to tell an incredibly talented mom-to-be what to put on her face?
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2022
When New Yorkers are not at their strongest, these volunteers take time out to provide hot meals, assistance landing an apartment or a rare chance to celebrate a child.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carol Besler, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2023
Did Mayor Gloria take time out from ribbon-cutting and sampling Petco’s cuisine?
—Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2022
Mothers often take time out of the workforce, which can also lead to pay setbacks.
—Sarah Chaney Cambon and Ana Rivas, WSJ, 21 Mar. 2022
Word of Trump coming to town was enough to motivate Jen Kuhnle, a Janesville nurse, to recently take time out of her brief lunch break to pick up a yard sign for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
—Bill Ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, 17 Oct. 2020
Take a minute today to empathize with the 489 Porsche Carrera GT owners who will need to take time out of their busy days to schedule a dealership appointment.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 11 Apr. 2023
During your party, take time out for your girlfriends to write appreciation notes.
—Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 19 Dec. 2022
Second of all, literally who are these people who take time out of their day to tell an incredibly talented mom-to-be what to put on her face?
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2022
When New Yorkers are not at their strongest, these volunteers take time out to provide hot meals, assistance landing an apartment or a rare chance to celebrate a child.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Take time out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20time%20out. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share