1
as in facing
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
2
as in hiring
to provide with a paying job
decided to take her on as store manager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in borrowing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking on
And the government subsidizes mortgages, so taking on leverage is easier.
—
Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Parent borrowers have even fewer options Parent borrowers will want to be especially careful taking on new loans, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 31 May 2026
Well, Bean — who previously played expectant-mother Jenna in Sara Bareilles' hit musical Waitress before taking on a part inspired by Alicia Keys' mother in the singer's autobiographical Hell's Kitchen — explains that her reluctance came from the feeling that she was being pushed into a category.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Pratt, who did not respond to a request for comment, lost his Pacific Palisades home in the fires and has won over many frustrated city residents with his anti-establishment message and cheeky AI videos — including one casting him as Batman, taking on a corrupt Democratic bourgeoisie.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
After taking on the Yankees to close out a nine-game homestand, the Royals will open a three-game road series against the Rangers in Texas on Friday.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026
Many prospective buyers are now wary of taking on a mortgage.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
At the time, reports of harpy eagles taking on large primates were proliferating, but there were no formal observations of it occurring naturally in situ.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
One said she’s been considering taking on a second job for the better part of three years.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026
Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Parent borrowers have even fewer options Parent borrowers will want to be especially careful taking on new loans, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 31 May 2026
Well, Bean — who previously played expectant-mother Jenna in Sara Bareilles' hit musical Waitress before taking on a part inspired by Alicia Keys' mother in the singer's autobiographical Hell's Kitchen — explains that her reluctance came from the feeling that she was being pushed into a category.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Pratt, who did not respond to a request for comment, lost his Pacific Palisades home in the fires and has won over many frustrated city residents with his anti-establishment message and cheeky AI videos — including one casting him as Batman, taking on a corrupt Democratic bourgeoisie.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
After taking on the Yankees to close out a nine-game homestand, the Royals will open a three-game road series against the Rangers in Texas on Friday.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026
Many prospective buyers are now wary of taking on a mortgage.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
At the time, reports of harpy eagles taking on large primates were proliferating, but there were no formal observations of it occurring naturally in situ.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
One said she’s been considering taking on a second job for the better part of three years.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on
Verb
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Michele Spagnuolo, an Italian citizen residing in Switzerland, was arrested yesterday and is facing charges of commodities fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and other counts for allegedly placing bets on search trends based on internal Google data that tracked user searches.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
28 May 2026
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The five are facing charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, promoting prostitution and money laundering.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
When Tracy was elevated from Triple-A to the big leagues Breslow didn’t rule out hiring a permanent manager midseason.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The airline has been hiring crew members from the defunct Spirit Airlines and expanding its pilot base at FLL.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The Fed typically raises its benchmark interest rate to help curb inflation by making borrowing more expensive and lowers it to stimulate economic growth and hiring.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
But 7 months ago, Christopher was borrowing money to pay his rent.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
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As the podcast industry debates the definition of a podcast and wades through unclear ad measurement tools, a secret industrywide taskforce has been meeting to combat the problem.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
-
Before the breach, 23andMe touted its security practices as meeting the highest industry standards.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
This idea contrasts with the notion that AI could be a money-saver as opposed to employing a legion of human staffers, who come with costly salaries, benefits, and PTO.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
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Construction projects like Hudson Yards, are massive, multi-billion $, decade-long initiatives, employing hundreds of companies and thousands of people.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Pitt also later joined Jolie in adopting Pax, 22, from Vietnam and Zahara from Ethiopia, while the couple also had three biological children together, Shiloh and twins, Vivienne and Knox.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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The move comes after the surname was noticeably absent when Maddox—who Jolie welcomed via adoption in 2002, with Pitt formally adopting him years later—was credited as an assistant director on his mom's new film Couture.—
Robyn Merrett,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Seaweed and Closures Limit Beach Options Beachgoers across the region are encountering large amounts of sargassum seaweed washing ashore.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
-
In one video, a battalion commander describes an assault that stalled after encountering a heavily fortified barrier.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
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But for America’s 250th birthday, New York Harbor is also recruiting a proud armada of very tall sailing ships for the latest edition of OpSail.—
Paige Darrah,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
-
The hire that defines 2026 is the human operator, and most founders are still recruiting for the wrong role.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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