take issue

idiomatic phrase

: to adopt or express an opposed or contrary view or position : disagree

Though a barbecuing Southerner may take issue, Texas-style and Korean barbecue have much in common.

—Anito Lo

—usually used with with

She took issue with the conclusions reached by the study.

Carolyn Nichols, an editor at Bantam, took issue with the notion that romance fiction is escapist.

—Charles Trueheart

Despite the proliferation of all means of communications, from magazines to computers, books remain our chief medium for the full expression of ideas, and for taking issue with those of others.

—Robert R. Harris

Examples of take issue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lee has protested at the Broadview ICE facility on several recent Fridays, taking issue with how ICE is picking up allegedly undocumented immigrants in the Chicago area, and how federal agents are deploying tear gas during protests in neighborhoods. —Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025

Former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce took issue with players potentially facing fines for criticizing officiating after games and pointed to New York Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux’s remarks from Sunday’s game. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025

Local Democratic officials view the blitz as a power grab by the Republican White House and have taken issue with federal agents using chemical weapons on residential streets during enforcement raids. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025

Trump even in his first administration took issue with the lack of defense spending among NATO members, which initially was 2 percent of a country's GDP, then increased to 3 percent before NATO members in June agreed to a new minimum spend of 5 percent. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take issue

• reissue