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
Fill out this online application, which should take five minutes or less, and once approved, your shiny new card will be on its way to you.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 25 June 2025
Veterans are given a disability rating by the VA that determines their monthly benefits, and some companies take five times that amount as their fee.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 23 June 2025
The brand’s most complicated creation made its debut back in 2020, and the highly sophisticated piece, with over 600 components, took five years to create.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
With each one, players took five dead-ball kicks at the goal from 24 yards, using a technique of their choosing.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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.
Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 25 June 2025
Veterans are given a disability rating by the VA that determines their monthly benefits, and some companies take five times that amount as their fee.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 23 June 2025
The brand’s most complicated creation made its debut back in 2020, and the highly sophisticated piece, with over 600 components, took five years to create.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
With each one, players took five dead-ball kicks at the goal from 24 yards, using a technique of their choosing.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 15 June 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 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share