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
The PayPal survey found that one in three Gen Z adults is taking on more work to afford their trips.
—
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 June 2026
On Sunday, there’s a World Cup debutant taking on a powerhouse, two dark horses meeting in Texas, and two matchups that have plenty of intrigue despite flying under the radar a little bit.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
With the recent expense of the new house, Alysha was worried about taking on another large financial commitment.
—Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 7 June 2026
McCaul also raised alarm about the timing of Pulte taking on the role, which comes just before America 250 celebrations and the 2026 World Cup games.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026
At this point, is there anything Congress can do to stop him from taking on this role?
—CBS News, 7 June 2026
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
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 June 2026
On Sunday, there’s a World Cup debutant taking on a powerhouse, two dark horses meeting in Texas, and two matchups that have plenty of intrigue despite flying under the radar a little bit.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
With the recent expense of the new house, Alysha was worried about taking on another large financial commitment.
—Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 7 June 2026
McCaul also raised alarm about the timing of Pulte taking on the role, which comes just before America 250 celebrations and the 2026 World Cup games.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026
At this point, is there anything Congress can do to stop him from taking on this role?
—CBS News, 7 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on
Verb
-
Ventura was the only defendant not facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
While Burnham plots his next move, the UK government now enters a new period of uncertainty, potentially facing a sixth prime minister in seven years.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Employers are hiring fewer young people, citing an experience gap and rising minimum wages that make inexperienced youth less attractive.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
The firm says inflation, oil prices and cautious hiring are likely to lead to even fewer jobs this year, resulting in the lowest summer hiring total for teens since the federal government began tracking it in 1948.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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In that case, the parent may continue borrowing under the old limits for up to three school years, or until graduation, whichever comes first.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Nvidia priced $25 billion of bonds in June, Meta and Oracle each sold about $25 billion this year, and Amazon completed a $37 billion deal, all of them borrowing to keep their cash intact.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Lee, 31, exclaimed, and the pair, mere moments after meeting, snapped a selfie as Gonzalez, 28, presented his Korean bulgogi beef quesadilla to the camera with a grin.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Bunnie, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, and Jelly Roll tied the knot in August 2016 during a whirlwind Las Vegas ceremony, after meeting the year prior.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
California is among the largest markets for freight trucking, employing more than 130,000 drivers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Though Olson had no defensive chances, the incident highlighted the extreme measures the Braves are employing to navigate their extensive injury woes and depth limitations this season.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
African and Caribbean leaders are demanding financial compensation, debt cancellation and formal apologies from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade after adopting a sweeping reparations plan at a conference in Ghana.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2026
-
Underestimating Potential Cyber Threats The primary risk leaders should evaluate when adopting alternative banking platforms is fraud, particularly as AI becomes more advanced.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Road rage is a year-round constant in Colorado, but summer can bring more drivers to the state’s roads and increase the chance of encountering an aggressive driver, Mendez said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
15 June 2026
-
What to know about the weather The event is encountering significant threats due to weather.—
Isabella Murray,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Verb
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These punitive rules have since eased but the GFA is often accused of not recruiting well enough from the Ghanaian diaspora.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Jackson also filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones in Fulton County Superior Court after Jones' campaign alleged on social media that Jackson had made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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