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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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

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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 Located within the Cité de la Mode et du Design in eastern Paris since 2008, the IFM has more than quadrupled in size and now takes up about 70 percent of the building’s total space, about 97,000 square feet. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026 This is also Fujifilm’s first Instax model to feature an LCD touchscreen, ditching the rear controls in favor of a larger display that takes up the entire back of the camera. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes up

Verb

The pavilion includes a gym, a sports court, a steam room and lifts for 20 cars.

— Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
The same impulse that lifts some victims up can leave others, the imperfect ones, out in the cold.

— Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of lifts

Verb

Mature skin drinks it in, looking plumper and healthier with every application.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
As a rule of thumb, buy any decor or supplies the week before your event, deep clean your house within the week of, and purchase any fresh food and drinks the day before, sources said.

— Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of drinks

Verb

The oil giant is also building a stadium, investing in renewable power projects, and often borrows during downturns to maintain funding to the state.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Its aesthetic borrows heavily from the S26 lineup, right down to the flat-edge aluminum frame with rounded corners.

— Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrows

Verb

One of those pay packages gave thousands of civilian city workers raises of about 24% over five years.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Mike Katz-Lacabe, the organization's research director, said the program raises questions about how drones will be monitored, who will have access to the footage and whether police can adequately oversee their own use of the technology.

— Da Lin, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of raises

Verb

When asked where his sound will evolve next, DDK embraces the beauty of the unknown, citing how transformative pivots defined the legacies of innovators like Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator.

— Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
True to its founding mission, the company embraces ballet for today, taking it into newer territories and reserving a place for female choreographers.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of embraces

Verb

The operator brings the experience while the machine takes on the physically demanding work.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
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