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

Filming on Heidi starts in April and a new take on ‘The Wandering Harlot’ is in development. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026

Quilts recognize that growth can come from moving sideways, changing industries, or taking on roles that don’t look like the obvious next step. —Ashley Herd, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026

Schaeffer’s writing earned particular praise, with viewers expressing their love of the show’s takes on classic sitcom formats while also dealing with serious emotions that Wanda was going through in the story. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026

Since its 2019 start in Indiana, Parlor Doughnuts has gone viral for its modern take on the doughnut. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 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
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

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