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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in employs

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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 on 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 Charlize Theron, who takes on the role of the temptress nymph Calypso, has leaned toward the seductive, wearing Tom Ford short-shorts on one carpet and a black Givenchy dress with a thigh-high slit on another. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 An InStyle writer gathered seven dimensional takes on the trend to inspire your next salon visit, ahead. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 July 2026 Belgium takes on the United States later Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 Brazil takes on Japan in an enticing first game of the day, while the Netherlands and Morocco meet in one of the more balanced matchups of the round. — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Some of the 32 students will head to Boston Stadium on Friday, as Norway takes on France in one of the premier contests on the entire World Cup slate to date. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes on

Verb

The guidance could have been even higher if not for supply constraints, as the company grapples with shortages in parts like memory, which faces a global crunch due to AI buildouts.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The Little Rock School District faces declining enrollment and financial challenges.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of faces

Verb

Others pointed out that California Forever has political clout because its chief lobbying firm, Axiom Advisors, employs several of Newsom’s friends and former officials.

— Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Raley’s owns and runs more than 100 grocery stores and employs roughly 11,500 workers, according to the company’s website.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of employs

Verb

Many states exempt data center servers and equipment from sales tax; whatever rule a state adopts must remain stable long enough for a project to be financed.

— Mark Drapeau, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
If your bank adopts it, the heavy lifting happens between the bank and the carrier network.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of adopts

Verb

Most of the industry recruits everyone and trains almost no one — a model critics have compared to multilevel marketing.

— Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
To update standards, the department recruits a committee of educators and experts from around the state who meet over several months and produce a recommendation for course descriptions and grade-level expectations and benchmarks.

— Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026