1
as in substituting
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in assuming
to take to or upon oneself
took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seizing
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
students protesting the war took over the college's radio station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking over
That move was bigger than a warehouse transaction, with Stord taking over Quiet’s former customer base and many employees moving over to the fulfillment provider.
—
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
The play transferred to Broadway’s Booth Theatre that year, with Lavin replaced by Judith Light and Rachel Griffiths taking over for Marvel.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 May 2026
The county is taking over day-to-day oversight of the initiative from United Way.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
Those who aren’t taking over the whole place and enjoy more of a scene can flit over in the island’s speedboat to neighboring Hurawalhi, with its buzzy bar, big gym, and underwater restaurant.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Thomson led Philadelphia to the 2022 World Series after taking over for Girardi, losing to the Houston Astros in six games.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Denver Mountain Parks will staff the welcome station at Echo Lake and manage the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, taking over that role from the Arapaho National Forest.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
With it, new media began taking over the arts’ function of representing reality.
—Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Cushing rejoined the board in 2025, taking over Brandon Wright’s seat after his resignation.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
The play transferred to Broadway’s Booth Theatre that year, with Lavin replaced by Judith Light and Rachel Griffiths taking over for Marvel.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 May 2026
The county is taking over day-to-day oversight of the initiative from United Way.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
Those who aren’t taking over the whole place and enjoy more of a scene can flit over in the island’s speedboat to neighboring Hurawalhi, with its buzzy bar, big gym, and underwater restaurant.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Thomson led Philadelphia to the 2022 World Series after taking over for Girardi, losing to the Houston Astros in six games.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Denver Mountain Parks will staff the welcome station at Echo Lake and manage the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, taking over that role from the Arapaho National Forest.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
With it, new media began taking over the arts’ function of representing reality.
—Andrey Mir, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Cushing rejoined the board in 2025, taking over Brandon Wright’s seat after his resignation.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking over
Verb
-
The problem of companies substituting hemp for marijuana dates to 2018, when Congress legalized hemp, a close cousin of marijuana that has only trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound that makes people high.—
Christopher Osher,
ProPublica,
15 May 2026
-
The restaurant also has vegan versions of many of its most popular menu items, substituting meat for falafel and its aioli and tzatziki sauces with lemon-herb tahini dressing.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Once stakeholders begin assuming that every image, video, or statement could be fabricated, institutional trust weakens across the board.—
Richard Torrenzano,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
-
And, teams assuming low-code handles anything can end up with fragile systems held together by workarounds.—
Nik Froehlich,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
In 1940, the German army was invading and seizing one European country after another.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
-
Prosecutors also said the captain received radio calls from cartel members attempting to communicate with the Aquatravesia before boarding or seizing the vessel.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Derek Shelton sat on the bench in the visitor’s dugout at PNC Park hours before Friday’s game and was greeted by a horde of local reporters standing in a semi-circle around him ready to take him down memory lane.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
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With no Alcaraz and Sinner standing in his way, this was a real chance for the veteran to take the sole lead of top spot on the list of most singles’ grand slam titles, ending his tie with Margaret Court.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Is preserving the family name worth accepting less?—
Brian Duggan,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Streisand was accepting Cannes' prestigious Honorary Palme d’Or at the event, which was broadcast live from the Palais des Festivals stage.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
According to the company, world models allow robots to simulate real-world physics, terrain behavior, and environmental changes before converting those scenarios into training data.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
-
There have been rumblings and indications in the news and by city officials for months that Costco has been planning the switch, but recent city documents offer confirmation and shed more light on what, exactly, the store converting to a business center would mean.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Most obviously, with free-agent addition Alijah Vera-Tucker still sitting out after missing last season with a torn triceps, Andrew Rupcich was filling in at left guard.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Garret Wallow and Jalen Graham took turns filling in for Warner at middle linebacker while second-year player Nick Martin manned the weakside spot.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s social media announcement raises more uncertainty for European allies that have been blindsided by the changes as the administration has complained about NATO members not shouldering enough of the burden of their own defense and failing to do more to support the Iran war.—
Matthew Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
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The sandwich generation has been shouldering a heavy financial burden for far too long.—
Mary Moreland,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20over. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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