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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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 In this episode, the modern-day characters just appear at the beginning and end, in framing the ’90s storyline, which takes up most of the hour. — Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 And what better way than alongside her on-screen sister, Daisy Edgar-Jones, who takes up the role of elder sister Elinor (the Thompson role)? — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 If no other antivirus is installed, Defender takes up the mantle of protection. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026 Eliminating a monthly car payment that takes up hundreds of dollars in the budget could provide more breathing room than paying extra toward a low-rate mortgage with years remaining. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 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 The glass-door entrance opens onto a great room that takes up most of the available space. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes up

Verb

The win got Frosinone back on track after a 3-0 loss to Napoli last weekend and lifts it into fifth place in the Serie A table.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Victory lifts Shakhtar to 11th in the early league-phase table, behind Bayern Munich on goal difference and ahead of both Manchester City and Manchester United.

— Simon Johnson, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of lifts

Verb

The idea borrows from hotels and weddings and reframes those keepsakes as everyday home decor.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
View gallery - 4 images Apple has unveiled HomeView, a curious little device that borrows the floating display of the original iMac G4, the touchscreen of an iPad, the familiar faces of an Apple Watch and the speaker base of a HomePod.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrows

Verb

Ohio polling raises questions Advertisement As polling consistently shows an advantage for Acton, Republicans are increasingly arguing that the polls may be wrong by just enough to give Ramaswamy the win.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
The biggest names in movies, music, fashion and beyond pulled out their sartorial best for the annual fundraiser that celebrates cinematic achievement and raises money for the museum.

— Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of raises

Verb

The aircraft’s arrival also reflects a broader shift in how law enforcement adopts new equipment.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Consistent with our principles of objectivity and fair process, the referral neither adopts nor rejects the factual assertions in your letter and does not prejudge OPR's assessment.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of adopts

Verb

Life that doesn’t just accept its sentence, but embraces it in joyful reverence?

— Gabi Abrão, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
In Asia, leaders are traditionally expected to project absolute certainty; a stance that instead embraces uncertainty puts their credibility and authority on the line.

— Ryoji Sekido, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of embraces

Verb

The mental load of harder cases As AI takes on routine tasks, human agents may be left dealing with a greater share of complicated cases — and be required to pick up the slack when the technology fails.

— Lindsay Dodgson, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The other game is another SEC matchup as Missouri takes on Ole Miss.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026