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

That’s the positive cornerback Kaiir Elam took after learning Sunday his contract had been terminated. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

For recent red carpet events, Gerber has taken after her mother in simple yet timeless ensembles with clean lines and, often, black-and-white color schemes. — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

And the 22-year-old takes after her mom in more ways than one. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Yellow median posts block the kind of dramatic U-turn Knight took after the shooting, driving furiously back toward The Strip as blood trickled down his face. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take after

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