take a/its toll

idiom

: to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something : to cause harm or damage
If you keep working so hard, the stress will eventually take its toll.
often + on
Too much sunlight can take a (heavy) toll on your skin.
Her illness has taken a toll on her marriage.

Examples of take a/its toll in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tower 28 LipSofties treatment, $16 (Tower 28) Did winter weather and travel take a toll on your lips? Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Unfollowing or muting accounts that take a toll on our mental or emotional well-being can be an act of self care. Erleia, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 As 2024 dawns, ongoing financial strain and uncertainty are continuing to take a toll on American workers, and employers are scrambling to cope with the fallout. Jason Leverant, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Cooking and doing dishes can take a toll on your hands. Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 21 Feb. 2024 Such impact forces over time take a toll on the feet and legs. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 Jan. 2024 Creighton’s defensive intensity in the final five minutes of the first half began to take its toll on the Friars. Steve Beideck, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2024 This mindset has become exhausting and is starting to take a toll on my mental and emotional well-being. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 Jon Gosselin is opening up about how his career change started to take a toll on his health. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take a/its toll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Take a/its toll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%2Fits%20toll. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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