takes over

verb

present tense third-person singular of take over
1
as in substitutes
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in shoulders
to take to or upon oneself took over the responsibility of caring for the animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seizes
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right students protesting the war took over the college's radio station

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 takes over Those qualities become even more valuable as AI takes over many routine activities that once consumed a professional's day. — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The Fourth of July takes over the area this weekend with the 60th Annual Palisades Parade, fireworks on and off the National Mall and festive celebrations across the city. — Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 2 July 2026 Forest Hill Church, which has met at the Morrison YMCA for 15 years and had funded the branch’s expansion, will also be displaced when Chadwick’s church takes over the property. — Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2026 Celebration planned ahead of match Fans at Henk's are hoping the national team can finally lift a World Cup trophy as the orange invasion takes over North Texas. — Dawn White, CBS News, 13 June 2026 While the Braves visit the Mets this weekend (more on that momentarily), Country Fest takes over Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 12 June 2026 Clover takes over a lawn when the grass has not been given enough TLC. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 6 June 2026 Every Sunday, the open-air Atlantic Beach Farmer’s Market takes over a park with vendors selling regional produce, buffalo milk yogurt, handmade soaps, and the like. — Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026 But then, the authors say, the physics takes over in a highly predictable process. — ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes over
  1. substitutes
  2. shoulders
  3. seizes
  4. stands in
  5. assumes
  6. grabs
  7. fills in
  8. accepts
Verb
  • Spain substitutes Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino capitalised on Portugal’s first real lapse in concentration to score a dramatic stoppage-time winner, but this was a dull watch.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of substitutes
Verb
  • In the run-up to the summit, Erdogan described Turkey as a reliable ally that consistently shoulders responsibility on NATO’s southeastern flank and will continue to play a leading role in the alliance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • Pulisic, who shoulders the heaviest load for the USMNT, split two defenders and poked a pass to Weston McKennie, who seemed to be trying to send a cross across the goal.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
Definition of shoulders
Verb
  • Rhaenyra, queen of the Blacks, seizes the Iron Throne in King’s Landing with the support of Alicent, who has simply had enough of her unstable and terrible sons.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
  • Trump seizes America’s 250th-birthday spotlight, headlining the Great American State Fair, hosting a UFC bout at the White House and promoting new passports, $250 bills and coins bearing his image.
    — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Definition of seizes
Verb
  • One homer cleared the last row of stands in that section and bounced off the concourse in front of a bar.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The 1960s metal mobile bar stands in the kitchen, which also boasts clean, stainless-steel surfaces.
    — Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026
Definition of stands in
Verb
  • Guitars take the place of shovels, as Henry now repays Carlos’ kindness by helping to save the land that Carlos assumes is ravaged.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • There is a real risk of cultural bias if AI assumes the whole world, ranging from Argentina and Egypt to Japan and Zimbabwe, ought to pursue the same values as the Western world.
    — Alexandra Figueroa, The Conversation, 14 July 2026
Definition of assumes
Verb
  • What a thrilling end to this match as Spain grabs a late winner to beat Belgium, 2-1.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • Once inside, she’s confronted by Tommy (James Eddie), who stupidly grabs her to escort her out.
    — William Earl, Variety, 2 July 2026
Definition of grabs
Verb
  • Use your phone to take a picture of that grocery run or dinner out, and the app fills in the price, category, labels and notes for you.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Schmidt then fills in the blanks.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of fills in
Verb
  • Under such a policy, if someone loses a job and accepts work at lower pay, wage insurance would aim to temporarily fill some of the gap.
    — Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • Procurement accepts the lower bid because the budget won't accommodate the higher one.
    — Joel Carboni, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of accepts

Browse Nearby Words

takes out
takes over
takes ship
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Cite this Entry

“Takes over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/takes%20over. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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