take after

verb

took after; taken after; taking after; takes after

transitive verb

: to resemble (someone) in features, build, character, or disposition

a daughter who takes after her mother

"That's Tulliver's son," said the publican to a grocer standing on the adjacent door-step. "Ah!" said the grocer, "I thought I knew his features. He takes after his mother's family."

—George Eliot

"His father was lazy but his mother hasn't a lazy bone in her body, and Peter takes after her."

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

Examples of take after in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kingston is clearly paving his own way in music, taking after his famous parents. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2026

Snapshots taken after the attack began capture corruption along with everything else. — Jim McGann, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026

What’s the best course of action for a distillery to take after releasing a whiskey that turns out to be… not so good? — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2026

Miller was taken after the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 Draft, but there was a time during his final season at Alabama where Miller’s draft stock was in limbo because of controversy off the court. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take after

• hereinafter
• thereinafter
• drafter
• laughter
• rafter
• hereafter
• thereafter