take on

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

2 to provide with a paying job decided to take her on as store manager Synonyms of take on assume, engage, fee [chiefly Scottish], hire, lay on [chiefly British], pay, place, recruit, retain, sign (up or on), employWords Related to take on reemploy, reengage, rehire; apprentice, contract, job, partner, subcontract; enlist; advance, promote, upgrade; keep (on); headhunt, scoutNear Antonyms of take on furlough, lay off, lock outAntonyms of take on 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 of take on borrow, embrace, espouse, adopt, take upWords Related to take on 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 of take on abandon, forsake, give up, relinquish, surrender; abjure, abnegate, disown; reject, renounce, repudiate, spurn; discard, jettison, junk, throw away, throw out