take the floor

idiomatic phrase

1

: to rise (as in a meeting or a legislative assembly) to begin speaking to a group

With Lott and Gramm staring at him as he took the floor during debate, McCain called the bill "seriously skewed," but said he would vote for it.

—Newsweek

At precisely 6:45 a.m. the rowdiness ceases as Sailor, a union safety expert, takes the floor for his weekly lecture.

—Jack Friedman

2

: to go out onto a dance floor to begin dancing

Several couples took the floor.

… the younger people took the floor, and all the elders sneaked back to their chairs …

—Sinclair Lewis

3

: to go out onto a basketball court to begin playing

Phillips hopes the scouts notice his quickness, his vision, … the way he changes the flow of a game as soon as he takes the floor.

—John Gustafson

Examples of take the floor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jalen Brunson takes the floor averaging close to 29 points and eight assists in 12 playoff games. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 May 2025

Four rotation players took the floor: Cam Payne, Landry Shamet, Precious Achiuwa, and P.J. Tucker — all names who could factor into head coach Tom Thibodeau’s playoff plans. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2025

Any $5 bet will be enough to win this instant bonus, including the biggest game of the night when stars LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry take the floor in a key NBA Western Conference battle. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025

Because the team that took the floor over the first five months of the season rarely looked like the one that trounced the Lakers. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for take the floor

• conquistador
• forevermore
• hereinbefore
• kinetochore
• kwashiorkor
• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor