TAKES UP Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

takes up

verb

present tense third-person singular of take up

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

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 up 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 Hospital care takes up the biggest share of healthcare expenditures. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The only downside was its size and weight, as it was primarily designed for home use, but no one wants to travel with a gadget that takes up half a suitcase. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 20 June 2026 Pratt also led the pack in the 5th District, which takes up much of the Westside and is represented by Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky. — Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026 Limit Your Denim Denim takes up a surprising amount of room. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 Dark wood furniture swallows light and takes up floor space in hallways. — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 7 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes up

Verb

Its auto-empty dock holds weeks of debris without manual intervention, while intelligent carpet detection automatically lifts the mop pad to keep rugs dry.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Meta's $18 billion social media settlement lifts a legal overhang that some analysts said could clear the way for a wave of new AI product launches.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of lifts

Verb

This visualizer borrows the format of the DROID Dataset Visualizer — many thanks for making the source code openly available.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Sep. 2026
The artist chosen for the commission is Nawin Nuthong, whose work borrows elements from interactive gaming.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of borrows

Verb

An Indian institution that’s built its operations around a foreign foundation model has no real recourse if that vendor raises prices, withdraws the model, hits new export restrictions or gets caught in a geopolitical dispute over chip access.

— Sajal Singh, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Israel, like many countries, raises money by selling bonds to investors, who then receive repayments with interest after a specified time period.

— Sharon Udasin, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of raises

Verb

This design effectively absorbs violent shockwaves that would otherwise shatter conventional armor.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Nitrogen is also a core component of chlorophyll, which absorbs energy from light in photosynthetic organisms, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of plants and animals.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorbs

Verb

On closer-range shots, Brughmans often adopts a wide base with his chest slightly forward and his arms relatively low.

— Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The change could add $1 or so to the price of oil if Iran adopts a fee structure similar to what Turkey charges for the Turkish Straits, Kaneva said.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of adopts

Verb

Cinematographer Robert Kolodny’s camera watches from afar as Ryan embraces his pal out in an open field, providing comfort and consolation in this hour of need.

— Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
Three fires that occurred between 1918 and 1936 put an end to all that, and nowadays the island embraces a much slower mindset.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of embraces

Verb

Closing out the evening at Louis Armstrong Stadium, American Learner Tien takes on Russian Karen Khachanov, hoping to join compatriots Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen in the last eight.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Sep. 2026
Newport Harbor is 9-0 and takes on Edison and Marina in league matches this week before beginning play in the Dave Mohs tournament.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026