take (a lot of) time
idiom
: to require that a lot of time needs to pass before happening or getting finished
Be patient. These things take (a lot of) time.
Examples of take (a lot of) time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This might be particularly hard on players who typically take a long time to get 'set' in the batter's box, and pitchers like St. Louis reliever Giovanni Gallegos, who take a lot of time between pitches to get ready to throw.
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David Faris, The Week, 30 Mar. 2023
But building a network can take a lot of time and be a daunting task.
—Sanjay Sehgal, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
Why Trust Us? Building out a smart home doesn’t have to cost a ton of money or even take a lot of time.
—Hunter Fenollol, Popular Mechanics, 14 Mar. 2023
Also, games are complicated to do and hard work and take a lot of time, effort and money.
—Todd Martensgame Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for take (a lot of) time
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David Faris, The Week, 30 Mar. 2023
But building a network can take a lot of time and be a daunting task.
—Sanjay Sehgal, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
Why Trust Us? Building out a smart home doesn’t have to cost a ton of money or even take a lot of time.
—Hunter Fenollol, Popular Mechanics, 14 Mar. 2023
Also, games are complicated to do and hard work and take a lot of time, effort and money.
—Todd Martensgame Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for take (a lot of) time
Cite this Entry
“Take (a lot of) time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20%28a%20lot%20of%29%20time. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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