TAKES ON Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

takes on

verb

present tense third-person singular of take on

as in faces

to enter into contest or conflict with will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in employs

to provide with a paying job decided to take her on as store manager

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in borrows

to take for one's own use (something originated by another) recently arrived immigrants who are eager to take on the language and culture of their adopted homeland

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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 on My first game starts early in the day as Alabama takes on Mississippi State. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Clarks x Damson Madder Damson Madder x Clarks Originals collection, which launched Thursday, features two fresh takes on Clarks archive styles. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026 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 Hylton takes on a task that has for many years been anchored by Alex Witt. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 If no candidate secures a majority of the vote in Tuesday's primary, the contest could head to a runoff later this month to determine who takes on Democrat Annie Andrews in November. — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Shadowbox takes on management of Kaufman Astoria after a tumultuous period at the studios. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026 Joshua takes on heavyweight contender Kristian Prenga in the main event of an overall strong card. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes on

Verb

The 150 Charles matter is also not the only eviction case Erica currently faces.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Imamoglu faces several legal cases, with the main one alleging corruption within the Istanbul municipality.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of faces

Verb

The rooms With just 101 rooms and suites, The Beaumont Mayfair borrows its visual language from the grand European hotels of the 1920s.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Under this strategy, a person borrows a set amount from his or her 401(k) account and slowly replenishes the account over time through payments deducted automatically from pay stubs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrows

Verb

After being acquitted on a technicality, the former leader encounters the ghosts of Mayan genocide victims as protests break out throughout the country in response to the verdict.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
For example, turbulence arises when a flowing fluid encounters an obstacle that changes the velocity of part of the flow.

— Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of encounters

Verb

Verity can’t finish her book series for mysterious reasons, so Jeremy hires Lowen to do so for her.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Whether that is a potential path forward is impossible to predict until Crane hires a new head of baseball operations.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of hires

Verb

Another key element of the measure is establishing a two-year budget cycle for the city, which currently adopts its budget annually.

— Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
But Eliot also uses free indirect discourse, the technique in which an omniscient narrator adopts the perspective of an individual character, to inhabit Dorothea beyond her surface qualities.

— Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of adopts

Verb

Monét released a trailer for Frequency of Love, which recruits a range of collaborators across R&B, including SZA, Bruno Mars, Leon Thomas, Bryson Tiller, Chlöe and Lucky Daye.

— Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
The Lioness Program recruits female operatives who go undercover and infiltrate the inner circles of enemy targets by getting close to the women connected to them.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of recruits

Cite this Entry

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“Takes on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/takes%20on. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of takes on

verb

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