take after

verb

took after; taken after; taking after; takes after

transitive verb

: to resemble (someone) in features, build, character, or disposition

a daughter who takes after her mother

"That's Tulliver's son," said the publican to a grocer standing on the adjacent door-step. "Ah!" said the grocer, "I thought I knew his features. He takes after his mother's family."

—George Eliot

"His father was lazy but his mother hasn't a lazy bone in her body, and Peter takes after her."

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

Examples of take after in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So far, regulators have been mum on whether any enforcement action has been taken after the lapse in hazardous waste protocols. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025

Vitamins can be taken after the expiration date on the label. —Health, 2 July 2025

The second, taken after his recovery in 2024, shows Yeşilça looking fit and healthy, his hair regrown, and Shiva standing on his chest protectively. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025

But her defense team alleged police planted taillight shards to frame Read, and showed jurors videos taken after O’Keefe’s body was found where Read's taillight appeared more in-tact. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take after

• hereinafter
• thereinafter
• drafter
• laughter
• rafter
• hereafter
• thereafter