taken up

past participle of take up
1
2
as in absorbed
to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of taken up But then, in the eighties, Gabe returns from a reporting trip to the Middle East having taken up with a much younger woman. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Opening on August 24 for visits by appointment only, the Wolf Kahn Foundation and Archives has taken up residence at 134 West 26th Street. News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026 Judging from this album, a lot of grim topics have taken up residence there. Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026 The festival has taken up the mantle of the World of Faeries Festival, which successfully ran for 19 years and ended in 2023. Daily Herald, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 Springer had by then dropped Lowden and taken up with Brumetti. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026 Much of the available living space is taken up by an open living/kitchen area. Adam Williams july 12, New Atlas, 13 July 2026 That deal included a £25million ($33m) option to make the move permanent, which was not taken up by Everton. Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Similar incidents, like the explosion of SpaceX's Falcon 9 at LC-40 in 2016, have taken up to twice as long to recover from. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taken up
Verb
  • Wednesday’s topping-out ceremony, when a construction crew lifted the final structural beam into place, doesn’t change that.
    Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • CrowdStrike's results lifted shares of fellow cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks, up more than 10% on Thursday.
    Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Ragged, jagged or fluffy edges point to a Bristol Type 6 stool, meaning waste moved through the colon too fast for water to be absorbed properly.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Millennial workers absorbed that decade as a personal performance problem.
    Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Europe ran the corresponding deficits, as many countries borrowed heavily abroad to rebuild economies devastated by war.
    MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That strategy of producing scientific uncertainty delayed regulation for a generation, and the same playbook was later borrowed by other industries, including on climate change.
    Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Saturday’s result raised UNC’s floor more than its ceiling in my eyes.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • He was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy, according to his older sister Maridale Powell, 89.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Generally, the conferences covering the top teams in college sports have all adopted a similar stance in seeking to head off the NFL issue with the college football season set to begin with Week Zero games this weekend.
    Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This time around, his administration has adopted burden shifting as a rallying cry and seems poised to act on it.
    JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Warsh, despite his arrival as a disruptor of Fed protocol, embraced that summer-retreat spirit.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For three decades, in an increasingly noisy and stress-filled world, Miraval Arizona has embraced its philosophy of Life in Balance, pioneering the concept of transformative wellbeing through mindfulness.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This image taken on August 25, 2026 shows an Icelandic flag displayed along a street in central Reykjavik, Iceland, ahead of the country's upcoming referendum.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has publicly stepped back from efforts to make diplomatic progress with Iran, facing deadlocked attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and intensifying questions about the toll an unpopular war has taken on the US military.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Taken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taken%20up. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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