: having the qualities of a forceful leader
a take-charge executive
take charge
2 of 2idiomatic phrase
: to assume control, command, care, or custody
… the people Americans have chosen to take charge in times of crisis …—
Marc Fisher
—often used with ofMarc FisherShe took charge of the company/team/project.
A neighbor took charge of the children until he got home from the emergency room.
Happiness is what occurs when you take charge of your life …—Terina Allen
Terina AllenSamuel Morse wanted the federal government to take charge of building a national telegraph system.—Virginia Postrel
Virginia PostrelI could see that unless I took charge of the situation nothing would get done. So I said, "Mouse, you and Jane … help me … ."—Judy Blume
Judy BlumeExamples of take-charge in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2025
Chalfant illustrates this in the film with exquisite subtlety, assuming by turns the disposition of a coy flirt and a take-charge kitchen taskmaster.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 20 June 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Friday's showdown will mark the first meeting between these teams since Pablo Guede took charge of Puebla in December 2024.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take-charge
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.
Adjective
Reluctantly accepting Chuck’s power of positive thinking and take-charge approach, Dale begins to come out of his shell.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2025
Chalfant illustrates this in the film with exquisite subtlety, assuming by turns the disposition of a coy flirt and a take-charge kitchen taskmaster.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 20 June 2025
Idiomatic phrase
With his decision to take control of D.C. police and deploy national guardsmen and FBI agents on the city's streets − citing a spree of lawlessness that isn't supported by federal crime data − the president took charge of tasks typically in the domain of the mayor and the police chief.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Friday's showdown will mark the first meeting between these teams since Pablo Guede took charge of Puebla in December 2024.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take-charge
Cite this Entry
“Take-charge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take-charge. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share