take on

verb

took on; taken on; taking on; takes on

transitive verb

1
a
: to begin to perform or deal with : undertake
took on new responsibilities
b
: to contend with as an opponent
took on the neighborhood bully
2
3
a
: to assume or acquire as or as if one's own
the city's plaza takes on a carnival airW. T. LeViness
b
: to have as a mathematical domain or range
what values does the function take on

intransitive verb

: to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way
she cried, and took on like a distracted bodyDaniel Defoe

Examples of take on in a Sentence

will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate decided to take her on as store manager
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 2023, their bond took on new meaning when Ancestry’s UnFamiliar series revealed that their great-grandparents had lived just a block apart on Elizabeth Street in early 20th-century New York City. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025 Arnold's post suggested that Kansas City wasn't ready to take on Detroit, but the Lions ultimately fell 30-17 to the Chiefs on Sunday before a massive brawl broke out between the two teams. Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 Tala Beach Club, located at beach level, takes you to Tulum with a lively weekend brunch scene while AVIV, the property's fine dining option, serves James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov’s take on Israeli cuisine for breakfast and dinner. Sara Liss, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025 While many of Kafka’s works examine the question of alienation and its consequences, that question takes on a different dimension in The Metamorphosis. Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take on

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of take on was in 1567

Cite this Entry

“Take on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20on. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

take on

verb
1
: to struggle with as an opponent
2
: employ entry 1 sense 2
took on more workers
3
: to acquire (as an appearance or quality) as one's own
take on weight
4
: to make an unusual show of one's feelings especially of grief or anger
don't take on so

More from Merriam-Webster on take on

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