1
as in departing
to leave a place often for another
I can only stay for a few minutes, and then I'll need to take off again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removing
to rid oneself of (a garment)
take off your coat and stay awhile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in subtracting
to take away (an amount or number) from a total
the store will take an additional 20% off if you bring in this coupon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in robbing
slang
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
a gangbanger who decided to take off some fast-food joint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 taking off
At least seven people are dead and 11 injured after a UPS plane crashed after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) on Tuesday evening.
—
Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
What to know As Wallace’s career was taking off, so was the oil boom.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2025
These getaways centered around learning are taking off in popularity, and destinations and hotels are taking notice.
—Essence, 20 Oct. 2025
Denver International and Newark Liberty International airports saw ground delays where flights were prohibited from taking off until controllers were able to handle them.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
The market is clearly taking off — and fast.
—Chris Dong, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The winter coming home sad, the summer coming home happy, slamming the door during an argument, taking off my shoes and sitting on the floor tired from something.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
The state encounters, which are in addition to what local police are doing, add to the total number of people that ICE is taking off the street and preparing to deport.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2025
Swapping out the old blade for a new one requires opening the two small slider locks and taking off the single handle panel to access the internal hardware.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
What to know As Wallace’s career was taking off, so was the oil boom.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2025
These getaways centered around learning are taking off in popularity, and destinations and hotels are taking notice.
—Essence, 20 Oct. 2025
Denver International and Newark Liberty International airports saw ground delays where flights were prohibited from taking off until controllers were able to handle them.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
The market is clearly taking off — and fast.
—Chris Dong, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The winter coming home sad, the summer coming home happy, slamming the door during an argument, taking off my shoes and sitting on the floor tired from something.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
The state encounters, which are in addition to what local police are doing, add to the total number of people that ICE is taking off the street and preparing to deport.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2025
Swapping out the old blade for a new one requires opening the two small slider locks and taking off the single handle panel to access the internal hardware.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking off
Verb
-
Colin Walsh will succeed Kyle Leahy, who will be departing Glossier at the end of the year, as the beauty brand’s next CEO.—
Vogue Business Team,
Vogue,
4 Nov. 2025
-
After departing the Grateful Dead in 1979, the Godchauxs formed the Heart of Gold Band, which was cut short by Keith’s tragic death in a car accident the following year.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The robot vacuum has 8,000Pa suction and a multidirectional floating roller brush with rubber and bristles, which does an excellent job of removing dust and debris from carpets.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But whereas many abundance advocates typically talk about removing government impediments to growth, such as zoning restrictions, Rodrik focusses on government interventions.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That hefty figure is also one of many variables, since virtually every buyer chooses to customize their Celestiq in some way, adding or subtracting from the final cost.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
-
To estimate your optimal heart rate zone for exercise, start by subtracting your age from 220 to get your maximum heart rate.—
Cyra-Lea Drummond,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Gallagher couldn’t bear robbing the audience — and Marissa — of the satisfaction of his downfall.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
-
In a separate case, a Russian soldier who had been accused of robbing a house in the village of Blystavitsy in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region in March 2022 was found not guilty.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Surveillance video shows two masked men entering through an interior hallway of the storage facility before exiting into an outdoor area enclosed by a metal fence.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Prescott, who spent three years as an external adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee before exiting in June, raised questions with the committee, BBC executives, and the corporation’s board.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
You are entitled to a refund of the security deposit or any balance left after deducting legitimate charges, according to Legal Aid of North Carolina.—
Kendrick Marshall,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The review added that the ongoing bit about the deducting from a charitable donation for longer speech set a negative tone.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Director Michael Arden, meanwhile, is up to his elbows just moving the cumbersome Legos of Dane Laffrey’s set around.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Experts attribute the drop-off to rising costs and economic uncertainty, as Americans are increasingly putting off travel plans or opting for road trips over flights.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
All of the backup plans that people are preparing to enact - borrowing, trying to visit food banks, putting off other bills - have their own costs and downstream effects.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20off. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share