take care

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 biggest artists generally have their own insurers, and the promoter has its own, to take care of refunding fans and paying people who are contractually owed. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Since Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh 's hawkish speech last month in Jackson Hole, higher oil prices and inflation have raised concerns among investors that inflation won't take care of itself without intervention by the Fed. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

That makes routine medical care part of taking care of your brain, too. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 16 Sep. 2026

Updating your medicine cabinet will take care of any expired medications and reduce needless excess. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for take care

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware