take five
idiomatic phrase
variants
or take ten
US, informal
: to take a brief break (as from work)
They're locked in a fierce debate over the last scene of their film … when camp director and Hollywood veteran Sam Dalton finally orders them to take five.—
Megan Myers
Megan MyersParry Aftab, the executive director of WiredSafety.org, offers these tips for dealing with troubling messages. … Take five. Instead of replying to a message that upsets you, step away and do something you enjoy for five minutes.—Nicole Iorio
Nicole IorioI could see his anger had nearly boiled over. … Coach Colby, who ran the defense, was the brave soul who stepped in. "Take ten," he said, placing a hand on Orlando's chest. "Cool off. Then suit up and meet at the fifty-yard line. Got it?"—Brandon Terrell
Brandon TerrellExamples of take five in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Whittingham left for Michigan and took five starters with him, including four on defense.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Unofficially, however, the real celebration will take five place days earlier, on Saturday, March 21, when the society plans to welcome 500 people to its annual gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2026
By taking five of a possible six points over the weekend, the Vikings take over first place in the CCHA, two points ahead of the Tommies and Michigan Tech.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026
Natural gas plants can take five to seven years to construct due to backlogs of the necessary turbines.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Manny Navarro, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Unofficially, however, the real celebration will take five place days earlier, on Saturday, March 21, when the society plans to welcome 500 people to its annual gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2026
By taking five of a possible six points over the weekend, the Vikings take over first place in the CCHA, two points ahead of the Tommies and Michigan Tech.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026
Natural gas plants can take five to seven years to construct due to backlogs of the necessary turbines.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take five
Cite this Entry
“Take five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20five. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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