undertake
verb
un·der·take
ˌən-dər-ˈtāk 
undertook
ˌən-dər-ˈtu̇k
; undertaken
ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kən
; undertaking
; undertaken
ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kən
; undertaking
1
: to take upon oneself : set about : attempt
undertake a task
undertake to learn to swim
2
: to put oneself under obligation to perform
also
: to accept as a charge or responsibility
the lawyer who undertook the case
archaic
: to give surety or assume responsibility
Examples of undertake in a Sentence
He's undertaking a thorough search.
The researchers undertook a series of studies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sawai understood why her character undertook the brutal act.
—
Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
This is all usually undertaken to protect sheep and cattle and grow mule-deer herds for hunters.
—Wendy Keefover, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
More broadly, the Costume Institute has undertaken a careful study of postures, perfumes, habits, and mores in the milieus where the garments first lived.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
In addition to being a political advocacy group, the N.R.A. undertakes activities related to gun safety training and marksmanship that would be considered a legitimate use of foundation funds.
—Danny Hakim, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
At the time, and in the intervening two years, the willingness either to undertake high-stakes diplomacy or to truly commit to come to Ukraine’s defense in the future has been notably absent in Washington and European capitals.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained, and Monogram Orthopaedics Inc. does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.
—Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Audits and reports are not a guarantee of quality and are admittedly imperfect tools, but undertaking them in a meaningful way is still valuable.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
In Munich, companies including OpenAI, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Google, X, and others announced a compact to undertake measures to protect elections as America and other countries go to the polls in 2024.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
This is all usually undertaken to protect sheep and cattle and grow mule-deer herds for hunters.
—Wendy Keefover, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024
More broadly, the Costume Institute has undertaken a careful study of postures, perfumes, habits, and mores in the milieus where the garments first lived.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
In addition to being a political advocacy group, the N.R.A. undertakes activities related to gun safety training and marksmanship that would be considered a legitimate use of foundation funds.
—Danny Hakim, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
At the time, and in the intervening two years, the willingness either to undertake high-stakes diplomacy or to truly commit to come to Ukraine’s defense in the future has been notably absent in Washington and European capitals.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained, and Monogram Orthopaedics Inc. does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.
—Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
Audits and reports are not a guarantee of quality and are admittedly imperfect tools, but undertaking them in a meaningful way is still valuable.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
In Munich, companies including OpenAI, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Google, X, and others announced a compact to undertake measures to protect elections as America and other countries go to the polls in 2024.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undertake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near undertake
Cite this Entry
“Undertake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertake. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
undertake
verb
un·der·take
ˌən-dər-ˈtāk
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