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

Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. —Lori Zaino, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025

After taking care of Tarleton State and Texas in preseason scrimmages, the real season is almost here for TCU men’s basketball. —Steven Johnson october 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025

If the programs close, many working families may have to choose between going to work and taking care of their children. —NPR, 30 Oct. 2025

As Albert and the NHL on TNT crew keep things nailed down from above the ice, Jon Diament takes care of business on the revenue front. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2025

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