take care

phrase

1

: to be careful or watchful : to exercise caution or prudence

Because fish is more delicate than beef, take care when pounding it thin.

—Sam Gugino

Patients also should take care in storing their drugs because heat exposure could affect their efficacy, [Aaron] Bernstein says.

—Marlene Cimons

—often used informally to express good wishes when parting, at the end of a message, etc.

I'll see you next week. Take care!

2

: to give particular attention to doing or not doing something

When he had finished writing, Cluny pushed the parchment under his pillow, taking care to leave just a small corner of it jutting out.

—Brian Jacques

In this land of ritual, Westerners should take care to inform themselves of protocol.

—Jeff Morgan

Open oysters carefully just before they are required, taking care not to spill the liquor in their deep shells.

—Elizabeth Craig

see also take care of

Examples of take care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Along with all these obligations, Tonina is taking care of her bedridden mother, who is suffering from dementia. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

Migrant minors who are unaccompanied by adults, however, are supposed to be granted protection and taken care of by Spanish authorities. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

The restaurant was required to close until the rodent issue could be taken care of, but has since reopened. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026

The latter can slow business to molasses running uphill if Flako’s Bakery doesn’t take care of that business in 30 days. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for take care

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware