take on

1 to enter into contest or conflict with will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate Synonyms battle, encounter, face, meet, engageRelated Words emulate, rival; contend, fight, opposeNear Antonyms elude, escape, evade; retreat

2 to provide with a paying job decided to take her on as store manager Synonyms assume, engage, fee [chiefly Scottish], hire, lay on [chiefly British], pay, place, recruit, retain, sign (up or on), employRelated Words reemploy, reengage, rehire; apprentice, contract, job, partner, subcontract; enlist; advance, promote, upgrade; keep (on); headhunt, scoutNear Antonyms furlough, lay off, lock outAntonyms ax (or axe), can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

3 to take for one's own use (something originated by another) recently arrived immigrants who are eager to take on the language and culture of their adopted homeland Synonyms borrow, embrace, espouse, adopt, take upRelated Words domesticate, naturalize; appropriate, arrogate, take over, usurp; absorb, assimilate, incorporate, quote; cherish, prize, treasure; cultivate, follow, heed, honor; use, utilize; bring up, foster, nurture, raise, rear; affect, assume, copy, imitate, pretend, put on, simulateNear Antonyms abandon, forsake, give up, relinquish, surrender; abjure, abnegate, disown; reject, renounce, repudiate, spurn; discard, jettison, junk, throw away, throw out