Synonyms of take

take

verb

ˈtāk 

1

as in to hold

to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

take my hand, or we'll get separated in this crowd

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hold
• grasp
• grip
• clasp
• lay hold of
• catch
• hang on to
• hold on (to)
• seize
• snatch
• clutch
• clench
• cling (to)
• nab

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drop
• liberate
• release
• give
• free
• discharge
• pass
• deliver
• relinquish
• transfer
• transmit
• hand
• entrust
• turn over
• hand over
• unhand

2

as in to have

to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

will you take that call?

took a cut in pay

Synonyms & Similar Words

• have
• accept
• adopt
• confirm
• tolerate
• welcome
• stand
• swallow
• ratify
• warrant
• sanction
• endure
• submit (to)
• accede (to)
• sustain
• consent (to)
• concede (to)
• yield (to)
• OK
• give in (to)
• assent (to)
• embrace
• succumb (to)
• bow (to)
• surrender (to)
• support
• abide
• shoulder
• acquiesce (to)
• countenance
• stick out
• stomach
• brook
• capitulate (to)
• bear
• sweat out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• deny
• reject
• negative
• decline
• oppose
• disapprove
• resist
• protest
• withstand
• object (to)
• spurn
• dissent (to)
• disallow
• veto
• fight
• turn down
• combat
• contest
• hold off

3

as in to get

to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

if you don't cover your head in this weather, you'll take cold and be stuck inside all weekend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• get
• catch
• contract
• come down (with)
• go down (with)
• sicken (with)
• break out (with)
• die (from)
• fail
• succumb (to)
• weaken
• wilt
• waste (away)
• worsen
• sink
• wither
• languish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recover
• gain
• come back
• heal
• recoup
• recuperate
• mend
• recover (from)
• shake (off)
• snap back
• rally
• rebound

4

as in to choose

to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

you can take the white side this time, since I got to be white for our last chess game

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choose
• select
• pick
• prefer
• elect
• name
• designate
• cull
• tag
• opt (for)
• handpick
• cherry-pick
• single (out)
• nominate
• adopt
• accept
• appoint
• tap
• embrace
• tab
• set
• mark
• settle (on or upon)
• preselect
• espouse
• fix

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• reject
• decline
• turn down
• negative
• repudiate
• disapprove
• discard
• throw away
• spurn
• throw out
• jettison

5

as in to buy

to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

I'll take two cheeseburgers to go, please

Synonyms & Similar Words

• buy
• purchase
• get
• obtain
• cop
• pick up
• acquire
• win
• procure
• gain
• garner
• pay (for)
• secure
• offer
• finance
• negotiate (about)
• deal (for)
• spring (for)
• trade (for)
• exchange (for)
• bid
• bargain (with)
• repurchase
• haggle (for)
• barter (for)
• palter (with)
• chaffer (with)
• dicker (over)
• horse-trade (with)
• rebuy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sell
• deal (in)
• merchandise
• market
• retail
• vend

6

as in to need

to have as a requirement

it will take a lot of courage to stand up for what is right

Synonyms & Similar Words

• need
• require
• want
• involve
• demand
• necessitate
• challenge
• claim
• call for
• warrant
• ask
• bear
• entail
• beg
• insist
• lack
• cry (for)
• hurt (for)
• stipulate
• enjoin
• exact
• quest
• clamor (for)
• press
• command

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• have
• hold
• possess
• own

7

as in to accommodate

to make or have room for

I think we can take two more in this elevator

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accommodate
• hold
• seat
• fit
• contain
• carry
• encompass
• house
• enclose
• enfold
• harbor

8

as in to work

to produce a desired effect

it will be a few hours before this medication takes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• work
• perform
• operate
• react
• act
• take effect
• respond
• take hold
• result
• affect
• behave
• influence
• sway
• redound
• pan out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• backfire
• fizzle

9

as in to stand

to put up with (something painful or difficult)

I can't take anymore of your whining about your former boyfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stand
• tolerate
• accept
• endure
• handle
• bear
• sustain
• absorb
• swallow
• meet
• go
• wear
• stomach
• stand for
• abide
• support
• live with
• countenance
• hack
• lump (it)
• allow
• brook
• bide
• stick out
• suffer
• tough it out
• permit
• sweat out
• pocket
• reconcile (to)
• respect
• submit (to)
• acquiesce
• agree (with or to)
• yield (to)
• consent (to)
• assent (to)
• capitulate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• dismiss
• reject
• fight
• resist
• decline
• oppose
• avoid
• repudiate
• escape
• combat
• miss
• contest
• spurn
• evade
• turn down
• circumvent
• bypass
• refrain (from)
• elude
• dodge
• abstain (from)
• forbear

10

as in to believe

to regard as right or true

I think we can take his word for it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• believe
• accept
• understand
• buy
• swallow
• trust
• credit
• account
• set store by
• presume
• assume
• deduce
• suppose
• infer
• conclude
• accredit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reject
• discredit
• doubt
• suspect
• disbelieve
• question
• challenge
• distrust
• dispute
• mistrust
• misdoubt

11

as in to overcome

to achieve a victory over

I know we can take that team

Synonyms & Similar Words

• overcome
• defeat
• get
• master
• beat
• stop
• worst
• best
• conquer
• dispatch
• subdue
• lick
• surmount
• get around
• succeed
• upend
• get the better of
• prevail (over)
• win (against)
• triumph (over)
• trim
• overbear
• finish
• overmatch
• bury
• do down
• sweep
• overwhelm
• skunk
• better
• exceed
• crush
• break
• surpass
• whip
• slaughter
• knock for a loop
• blow out
• upset
• flatten
• score
• annihilate
• blow away
• excel
• clobber
• flourish
• trounce
• top
• skin
• bomb
• cream
• edge (out)
• cap
• subjugate
• nose out
• vanquish
• smoke
• rout
• snow under
• transcend
• thrash
• overthrow
• unseat
• wallop
• knock over
• drub
• outdo
• overpower
• pip
• outshine
• wax
• outstrip
• shellac
• eclipse
• outdistance
• knock off
• ace (out)
• overtop
• outfight

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lose (to)
• fall
• give up
• fail
• go down
• fold
• go under
• collapse
• wash out
• flunk
• flop

12

as in to manage

to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

let's take each problem separately

Synonyms & Similar Words

• manage
• handle
• manipulate
• address
• treat
• negotiate
• play
• maneuver
• swing
• cope (with)
• field
• contend (with)
• pull
• hack
• come to grips with
• grapple (with)
• carry out
• control
• have a grip on
• steer
• regulate
• engineer
• get off
• direct
• guide
• carry off
• run
• respond (to)
• finesse
• bring off
• react (to)
• command
• jockey
• micromanage

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fumble
• botch
• goof (up)
• mishandle
• mess (up)
• bungle
• louse up
• scamp
• muff
• foozle

13

as in to receive

to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to

the school takes only a small percentage of the thousands of applicants

Synonyms & Similar Words

• receive
• admit
• enter
• welcome
• entertain
• confirm
• ratify
• fellowship

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• dismiss
• bar
• reject
• ban
• decline
• disallow
• disapprove
• exile
• expel
• throw out
• banish
• oust
• deport
• ostracize
• blackball
• blacklist

14

as in to kill

to deprive of life

I never thought heart disease would take such an athletic and health-conscious person

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kill
• destroy
• slay
• claim
• fell
• dispatch
• carry off
• do for
• slaughter
• murder
• get
• do in
• do away with
• croak
• assassinate
• off
• finish
• make away with
• neutralize
• take out
• waste
• cut down
• execute
• whack
• snuff
• mow
• put away
• butcher
• annihilate
• smite
• decimate
• blot out
• kill off
• terminate
• massacre
• ice
• bump off
• rub out
• knock off
• suicide
• put down
• scrag
• euthanize
• martyr

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• raise
• revive
• animate
• nurture
• resurrect
• resuscitate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word take different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of take are clutch, grab, grasp, seize, and snatch. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

In what contexts can clutch take the place of take?

In some situations, the words clutch and take are roughly equivalent. However, clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

How are the words grab and snatch related as synonyms of take?

Grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

Where would grasp be a reasonable alternative to take?

While the synonyms grasp and take are close in meaning, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

When is seize a more appropriate choice than take?

While in some cases nearly identical to take, seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

How do snatch and seize relate to one another, in the sense of take?

Snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of take

The resort's short course, The Clutch, takes full advantage of the scenic setting, and fishing charters and nature tours are available from the marina. —Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 9 June 2026

Meanwhile, officials have urged residents to take precautions such as locking their doors and windows to prevent bears entering their homes, and to avoid putting their trash out at night. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026

Oklahoma City had beaten them by 15 points on the Spurs’ home court to take a 2-1 series lead, and San Antonio decided to have a closed-door meeting immediately following the game. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 9 June 2026

Step outside to the private garden in the morning to take your coffee in the fresh air. —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 9 June 2026

Phrases Containing take

• take a hike
• take a powder
• take a walk
• take aback
• take account of
• take apart
• take back
• take by surprise
• take care of
• take down
• take effect
• take exception
• take for
• take for a ride
• take for granted
• take hold
• take hold (of)
• take in
• take into account
• take issue
• take kindly to
• take off
• take on
• take one's time
• take out
• take over
• take ship
• take the count
• take the floor
• take the mickey out of
• take to
• take to task
• take to the cleaners
• take up
• take up with