take care

idiomatic phrase

1

: to be careful or watchful : to exercise caution or prudence

Because fish is more delicate than beef, take care when pounding it thin.

—Sam Gugino

Patients also should take care in storing their drugs because heat exposure could affect their efficacy, [Aaron] Bernstein says.

—Marlene Cimons

—often used informally to express good wishes when parting, at the end of a message, etc.

I'll see you next week. Take care!

2

: to give particular attention to doing or not doing something

When he had finished writing, Cluny pushed the parchment under his pillow, taking care to leave just a small corner of it jutting out.

—Brian Jacques

In this land of ritual, Westerners should take care to inform themselves of protocol.

—Jeff Morgan

Open oysters carefully just before they are required, taking care not to spill the liquor in their deep shells.

—Elizabeth Craig

see also take care of

Examples of take care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The brand has long eschewed a fast-fashion mentality, and encourages shoppers to take care of their shoes using its line of care products such as cleaning balms, sprays, and brushes. —Jasmine Li, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024

Ensuring that the cords aren’t jumbled and the unit has room to breathe will properly take care of it. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024

As always, the event will include talks on the best ways to grow vegetables, plant flowers to attract pollinators and take care of fruit trees. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024

And that means taking care of yourself from the inside out (but also being gentle with your skin!). —Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

His father withdrew emotionally in the face of the mounting trauma, leaving David largely to take care of himself. —Clay Risen, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024

The 79-year-old said her brother has experienced health problems in recent years and is now being taken care of by family members. —Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024

Understandably, this sweet mama needed some time to heal and take care of her tiny family. —The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024

Thomas Peters, a top aide to Feuer, was charged with aiding and abetting extortion after being ordered by unnamed city staff to take care of the employee’s threats, according to prosecutors. —Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2