take on

verb

took on; taken on; taking on; takes on

transitive verb

1

a

: to begin to perform or deal with : undertake

took on new responsibilities

b

: to contend with as an opponent

took on the neighborhood bully

2

: engage, hire

3

a

: to assume or acquire as or as if one's own

… the city's plaza takes on a carnival air.

—W. T. LeViness

b

: to have as a mathematical domain or range

what values does the function take on

intransitive verb

: to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way

… she cried, and took on like a distracted body …

—Daniel Defoe

Synonyms of take on

• meet
• face
• encounter

Examples of take on in a Sentence

will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate

decided to take her on as store manager

Recent Examples on the Web

Sometimes there isn’t enough time, mental, emotional, or physical capacity to take on another commitment, and that’s okay, too. — Jasmine Johnson, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

The result is a diverse take on itameshi — think mentaiko spaghetti, sansho-spiked cacio e pepe, panko Milanese and yuzu spritzes — served with equal parts Italian dolce vita and Japanese hospitality. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

But taking on a challenging environment has been nothing new for Simon. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026

By 2030, plans call for Atlas to handle full component assembly and take on dangerous, back-breaking labor. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for take on

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon
• epsilon

Kids Definition

take on

verb

1

: to struggle with as an opponent

2

: employ entry 1 sense 2

took on more workers

3

: to acquire (as an appearance or quality) as one's own

take on weight

4

: to make an unusual show of one's feelings especially of grief or anger

don't take on so