1
as in giving way (to)
to find emotional release for
he took out his frustrations by splitting a cord of firewood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in going out (with)
to go on a social engagement with
she'd like to take the new boy out to the movies sometime
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in removing
to take away from a place or position
the airline passenger took his laptop computer out of its carrying case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
the rumor is that the CIA is planning to take him out before he can seize control of the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking out
Meanwhile, Polarity — on the verge of taking out Cipher — is surprised to discover that the man on the ground in front of him is just a regular human whose body was being puppeteered this whole time.
—
Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
In the film, directed by Mike Judge, Peter Gibbons (Livingston) and his coworkers, Michael Bolton (David Herman) and Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu), enjoy the last day at their job by taking out years of frustrations on their frequently malfunctioning office printer.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Buium’s main chore has been taking out the garbage.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
While Annie seemed like the odd duck out, her closest, idol-holding ally Alex seemed to be considering Sophi as his target, with the goal of taking out his bromance Jake’s other bestie.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 Oct. 2025
Why would Alex risk pissing off Jake by taking out his other number one so early?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
But documents reviewed by CNN show that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer did the same — taking out two mortgages in one year, appearing to list both homes as primary residences.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
An acquisition may, at worst, see a larger business, simply taking out a competitor.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
In general, airlines try to maximize the number of profitable seats on every flight, and sometimes adding more premium seats means taking out economy seating or reducing the legroom for the cheap seats as well.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
In the film, directed by Mike Judge, Peter Gibbons (Livingston) and his coworkers, Michael Bolton (David Herman) and Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu), enjoy the last day at their job by taking out years of frustrations on their frequently malfunctioning office printer.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Buium’s main chore has been taking out the garbage.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
While Annie seemed like the odd duck out, her closest, idol-holding ally Alex seemed to be considering Sophi as his target, with the goal of taking out his bromance Jake’s other bestie.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 2 Oct. 2025
Why would Alex risk pissing off Jake by taking out his other number one so early?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
But documents reviewed by CNN show that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer did the same — taking out two mortgages in one year, appearing to list both homes as primary residences.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
An acquisition may, at worst, see a larger business, simply taking out a competitor.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
In general, airlines try to maximize the number of profitable seats on every flight, and sometimes adding more premium seats means taking out economy seating or reducing the legroom for the cheap seats as well.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking out
Verb
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In consultation with Todd Arrington, former Director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, the Protocol Gift Unit opted to purchase a replica of a sword in the Eisenhower collection rather than removing an object from the collection.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
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Just to his right, Dmitry Simashev was also removing his gear and about to answer questions about the anticipation for his NHL debut Thursday night.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The episode’s final moments are of Godolkin walking the campus, draped in a blanket, murdering a student and ready to enact his ultimate plan for the future of supes.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
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Gregory Szugyi, who also goes by Gregory Dubelle, had been charged with murdering 36-year-old Antonio Poole in an April 2024 shooting on Kennedy Street in Oakland.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thomas saw two men – wearing Commanders’ jerseys – unleashing a flurry of punches on another man in a blue Giants shirt.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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Your favorite streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+, Peacock and Amazon's Prime Video are unleashing a host of new movies that run the gamut of genres and tastes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The meal would have been served family style, with many dishes laid out on the table all at once, next to their accompanying sauces and jellies.—
Victoria Flexner,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
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The pope raised the examples of saints, like Francis of Assisi and Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who laid the path of mercy and accompanying the poor.—
Claire Giangrave,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israeli troops still occupy Gaza and won't be withdrawing until Hamas disarms.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
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Other users in the comments suggested the bride look into the legal aspect of the makeup artist withdrawing on such short notice and effectively breaching the contract between them.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus a month ago today, has asked a judge for permission to wear civilian clothes in court and to appear without shackles and cuffs.—
Michael Ruiz , Lee Ross,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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Casual killings at point-blank range, vicious motorcycle jackings, tossing someone off a building, assassinating the actual Mark Cuban (playing himself) — this, in the movie, is what the good guys do.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Informal salvage businesses buy old batteries and melt the lead in makeshift furnaces, releasing waste that ends up in the air, soil, and water.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Douglas Dulgarian began making noise as TAGABOW in 2017, playing house shows and releasing early cassettes like 2017’s Sweater Curse.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Phillies play reliever roulette Righty David Robertson entered when Cristopher Sánchez encountered trouble in the sixth, putting away pinch hitter Max Muncy, a lefty batter.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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And that confidence and identity have carried over into the first two weeks of the season, from putting away a good Houston Texans team in the opener to pulling away from the Tennessee Titans this past weekend after trailing late in the third quarter.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20out. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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