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 Terminal Lobby Expansion project took five years to build.
—Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
That work would take five to seven months to complete, Mitcham told members of the Common Council's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, which endorsed the sale in February 2022.
—Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Vaccines typically take five to 10 years to develop, according to Johns Hopkins University, and sometimes longer.
—Jeffrey Kopp, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
And this whole process usually takes five, six, seven minutes at longest.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
That work would take five to seven months to complete, Mitcham told members of the Common Council's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, which endorsed the sale in February 2022.
—Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Vaccines typically take five to 10 years to develop, according to Johns Hopkins University, and sometimes longer.
—Jeffrey Kopp, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
And this whole process usually takes five, six, seven minutes at longest.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Sep. 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 29 Sep. 2025.
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