Synonyms of takes up

takes up

verb

present tense third-person singular of take up

1

as in lifts

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

• lifts
• raises
• elevates
• perks (up)
• hoists
• picks up
• ups
• uplifts
• upholds
• upraises
• boosts
• hefts
• heaves
• hikes
• heightens
• cranes
• rises
• jacks (up)
• ascends
• mounts
• upends
• rears

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• falls
• drops
• lowers
• descends
• slips
• pushes
• dips
• bears
• plunges
• presses
• depresses
• sinks
• pitches
• submerges

2

as in drinks

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

• drinks
• absorbs
• soaks (up)
• sucks (up)
• swallows
• imbibes
• sponges
• sips
• gulps
• slurps
• swills
• swigs
• quaffs
• guzzles

3

as in borrows

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

• borrows
• adopts
• embraces
• takes on
• takes over
• picks up on
• follows
• espouses
• assimilates
• cultivates
• utilizes
• copies
• uses
• incorporates
• puts on
• brings up
• imitates
• quotes
• prizes
• appropriates
• absorbs
• treasures
• honors
• usurps
• affects
• raises
• cherishes
• arrogates
• domesticates
• naturalizes
• pretends
• assumes
• simulates
• heeds
• fosters
• nurtures
• rears

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gives up
• abandons
• relinquishes
• forsakes
• surrenders
• rejects
• abjures
• disowns
• renounces
• spurns
• repudiates
• throws out
• throws away
• abnegates
• discards
• jettisons
• junks

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of takes up

The lower box, which takes up most of the carton's side, has an 89-word message that makes the case that most people want their governments to take climate action and that doing so could lead to political wins. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

All this heat has huge ripple effects, driving marine heat waves, fueling stronger and more destructive storms, damaging marine life and increasing sea level rise, both by melting ice and because warmer water takes up more space. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

The treadmill relaunch, Peloton said, is also addressing the company's long-standing challenge getting consumers to buy high-cost equipment that takes up a lot of space. — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Peloton is bulking up its treadmill lineup with three new machines, including a foldable model that takes up less floor space and won't hurt your wallet as much as the others. — Bee Wertheimer, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

The glass-door entrance opens onto a great room that takes up most of the available space. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Vedder was revising lyrics, and also trying to get the vocal takes up to his standards, which were already quite high. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026

As the oceans absorb much of this excess heat, warmer seawater expands and takes up more space, while melting glaciers and ice sheets add even more water. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Repairs, replacement parts and the physical space each piece takes up all factor into the true cost of ownership. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026