take five
idiomatic phrase
variants
or take ten
US, informal
: to take a brief break (as from work)
They're locked in a fierce debate over the last scene of their film … when camp director and Hollywood veteran Sam Dalton finally orders them to take five.—
Megan Myers
Megan MyersParry Aftab, the executive director of WiredSafety.org, offers these tips for dealing with troubling messages. … Take five. Instead of replying to a message that upsets you, step away and do something you enjoy for five minutes.—Nicole Iorio
Nicole IorioI could see his anger had nearly boiled over. … Coach Colby, who ran the defense, was the brave soul who stepped in. "Take ten," he said, placing a hand on Orlando's chest. "Cool off. Then suit up and meet at the fifty-yard line. Got it?"—Brandon Terrell
Brandon TerrellExamples of take five in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The North Carolina refuge is taking five tigers from the resort.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2025
The Yankees took five of six from the M’s in the season series, so the Tigers could be looking at their fourth postseason matchup with the Yanks this century (all Tigers wins).
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Around the same time, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office took five more people into custody during a separate traffic enforcement operation.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2025
This lasted a lot longer and in total, the entire project took five months to realize.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2025
The Yankees took five of six from the M’s in the season series, so the Tigers could be looking at their fourth postseason matchup with the Yanks this century (all Tigers wins).
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Around the same time, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office took five more people into custody during a separate traffic enforcement operation.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2025
This lasted a lot longer and in total, the entire project took five months to realize.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
Cite this Entry
“Take five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20five. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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