take on
verb
took on; taken on; taking on; takes on
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
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
W. T. LeViness
b
: to have as a mathematical domain or range
what values does the function take on
: 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
Daniel DefoeExamples 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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Take on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20on. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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