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
One of her first acts on taking up the festival baton in 2025 was to reinstate the International Competition.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 June 2026
The same for when a committee and the full body takes up a nomination and the result of the votes.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Surprisingly, Richmond took up Wilkes’s cause—like John Kenneth Galbraith taking up Abbie Hoffman’s side in 1968—and continued to support him through a series of trials and parliamentary debates that eventually ended with Wilkes’s reinstatement.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
With a profusion of bright yellow flowers and deep roots, dandelions boldly take up residence in lawns and gardens.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for take up
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 June 2026
The same for when a committee and the full body takes up a nomination and the result of the votes.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Surprisingly, Richmond took up Wilkes’s cause—like John Kenneth Galbraith taking up Abbie Hoffman’s side in 1968—and continued to support him through a series of trials and parliamentary debates that eventually ended with Wilkes’s reinstatement.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
With a profusion of bright yellow flowers and deep roots, dandelions boldly take up residence in lawns and gardens.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for take up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take up
Verb
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The team is nationally minded and committed to lifting as many voices as loud as possible.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Many of today’s sculpting and lifting facial massages combine multiple techniques, combining manual manipulation, including lymphatic drainage, reflexology and buccal massage, which involves work inside the mouth.—
Lauren Finney Harden,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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As the two men drink their first soda for nearly a year and wistfully speak of clean clothes, another first-person view drone is heard overhead in the city of Kramatorsk, sending locals scattering.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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This is a time when TCM has never been more popular, with practices including acupuncture, as well as cupping, herbal medicine, and other somatic therapies (or something as simple as drinking warm water) going mainstream in the Western world.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
Verb
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How homeowners paid for repairs Not everyone has emergency funds available to pay for surprise home repairs, and 44% of all homeowners surveyed used credit cards, loans, payment plans, or borrowed from family or friends to pay for a home repair.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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To borrow a phrase from a different rock-mockumentary, The Vampire Lestat will dial IWTV’s wildest impulses up to 11.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Similar concerns were raised about the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which was followed by a significant curtailment in benefits a few years later.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
5 June 2026
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Set to retail for $5,385, discounts were offered to those who preordered the trolley as part of a crowdfunding drive that raised roughly $1 million.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Verb
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There is no version of this where producers absorb tens of billions of dollars in new liability and don’t pass it on.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Place an open box in a discreet corner of the bathroom to absorb unwanted odors over several months.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Among them are several sustainability goals incentivizing Kering brands to adopt alternative materials like mycelium and to reduce the intensity of bovine leather products.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
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Brookline adopted the nation’s first NFG bylaw in 2024.—
Alex Weatherall,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The relaxed silhouette offers plenty of airflow for hot afternoons, while the matching design feels elevated enough to wear straight to dinner afterward.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
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Diets rich in diverse plant fiber promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and elevate production of short-chain fatty acids — molecules like butyrate that maintain gut barrier integrity, dampen systemic inflammation and support metabolic health.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Beckham continued to express gratitude for the reunion while also embracing an underdog mentality.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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Instead, Collins embraced yet another current summer trend—the barefoot shoe—in a pair of Margaux’s soft, glove-like Phoebe Flats in bone white Nappa leather.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Take up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20up. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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