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

: engage, hire

3

a

: to assume or acquire as or as if one's own

… the city's plaza takes on a carnival air.

—W. 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 body …

—Daniel Defoe

Synonyms of take on

• meet
• face
• encounter

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

The grand property later took on a radically different role as the state-of-the-art St George's Hospital, rebuilt in 1825 by architect William Wilkins, the mind behind London’s National Gallery. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026

But that would depend on the size of the Jaquez extension, combined with what other salary the Heat takes on during the next 13 months — potentially including outlays to a first-round pick next month and another in June 2027. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026

These implementations were also instrumental in immediately communicating some of the trends driving new takes on the high-end fragrance category. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 9 June 2026

In the absence of Jacas and Landry, veteran free-agent pickup Dre’Mont Jones and second-year pro Elijah Ponder have taken on the bulk of starting reps on the edge. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for take on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon
• epsilon

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