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

Miller has long been concerned with some of the actions taken after 9/11, putatively in her name, against Muslims in general. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

And how about the shot Vasquez took after landing the initial punch? — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Shimmer, sparkles, glitter—take after the singer and embrace it all. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026

Let the jeans take center stage by pairing them with a simple T-shirt, or take after the TV host by styling them with a darling blouse and platform shoes. — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take after

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