1
as in to lift
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to borrow
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
one cluster of fans started chanting the team name of the champions, and the crowd quickly took up the cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of take up
Unveiled by Macron in January 2025, the renovation, which could take up to a decades, aims to modernize a museum widely seen as overstretched and physically worn down by mass tourism.
—
Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Still, podcasts, newsletters, and now video shows, all hosted or written by Economist personalities, are taking up an increasing share of effort and investment.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case from Boulder, Colorado, among a series of lawsuits alleging the companies deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case from Boulder, among a series of lawsuits alleging the companies deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change.
—Lindsay Whitehurst, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take up
Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Still, podcasts, newsletters, and now video shows, all hosted or written by Economist personalities, are taking up an increasing share of effort and investment.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case from Boulder, Colorado, among a series of lawsuits alleging the companies deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case from Boulder, among a series of lawsuits alleging the companies deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change.
—Lindsay Whitehurst, Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for take up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take up
Verb
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Needing a spark in their third game in three states in four nights, the Celtics did not get one from their bench, which combined to score just five points before garbage time (plus another 12 after Mazzulla lifted his starters with more than five minutes remaining).—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Vitello then lifted him in favor of right-hander Tristan Beck, who served up a grand slam to Brice Turang.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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George has a particular fondness for drinking out of my watering can.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What is the truth, what is the lie, and how photography historically borrows the sense of truth and reality in order to tell lies, in order to seduce people to do things.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
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Brooks borrowed a pair of too-tight football pants and played anyway.—
Julia Terruso,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Charlotte raised upward of $3 million for roster construction, program and facility upgrades in December, and will have more than double last season’s amount for the 2026 football team, per a source.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
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But should the polls in the late spring still resemble those from mid-winter, powerful Democrats may pressure some of the candidates who have struggled to raise money or secure much support in the polls to drop out.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wrap your unwashed roots in a paper towel to absorb any potential moisture, then store the carrots in a zip-top bag or airtight container in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to 4 weeks.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Feb. 2026
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But what absorbs him most is the intense kinship that the San feel with the elephants, to the point where, at a bonfire dance, a kind of cross-species migration of souls seems to take place.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last week, cohosts Kotb, Melvin, Carson Daly, and Al Roker all wore yellow ribbons, adopting the practice of Nancy's neighbors in her Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
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These cards became a sensation, so much so that some tech companies have adopted them as a template to announce new hires.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Several senior party and military posts were reshuffled, elevating younger loyalists.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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In fact, praying to saints or ancestors elevated them above the status of mere mortals, effectively denying the singular might of God.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, at the Milan Fashion Week show, the star embraced an edgy aesthetic with a messy low ponytail and smudged black eyeliner with smoky navy eyeshadow.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
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Taylor also weighed in on keeping her cool on stage when things go wrong, such as embracing her wig flying off and whipping it around her head, the proper form for double-dutching and having patience in Hollywood.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Take up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20up. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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