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
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.
Michaels was injured on the second take after adjustments were made to the stunt. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 May 2025 The rest of the installment was apparently taken after it was sawed off from its base at the ankles. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 May 2025 In this respect, Geoff does not take after his mother. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025 Huntsman, the inspector general, said there are plenty of additional steps Bonta could take after four years of noncompliance, including trying to have county officials held in contempt of court. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for take after

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take after was in 1627

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take after.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20after. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on take after

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!