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 has been a top priority for Sharma since taking over as chief executive of Xbox in February, an appointment that surprised some industry insiders because of her non-gaming background and previous role leading AI initiatives for the 51-year-old tech giant.
—
Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 9 June 2026
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
Cushing rejoined the board in 2025, taking over Brandon Wright’s seat after his resignation.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 9 June 2026
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
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
-
That creates the risk of symbolic legislation substituting for meaningful governance.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
14 June 2026
-
In response to high food prices, seniors may be eating less frequently and substituting less expensive items for pricier ones, such as beef, to help curb their grocery costs, Johnson said.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Liability insurance costs also rise dramatically — assuming coverage can be obtained in a state facing a severe insurance crisis — further reducing funds available for essential services.—
Kim Gorsuch,
Sun Sentinel,
16 June 2026
-
That works out to roughly four reusable water bottles per day for men and about three for women, assuming bottles are in the standard 24- to 32-ounce range.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
He’s drawn to attempting to achieve things that his predecessors could not, including seizing territory for the United States (Greenland, for sure, but maybe Canada, too) and toppling antagonistic regimes (Venezuela, Iran, possibly Cuba).—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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The Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Dao, sits within Manila's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, but Beijing has maintained a near-constant presence around the shoal after seizing de facto control in a tense 2012 standoff.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez was allegedly operating the unmanned drone on June 12 in restricted airspace near Centennial Olympic Park during the 2026 FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta while standing in a nearby parking area and recording video of the event, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, and Ed Harris all star as the Redfellows standing in his way.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Diedrich, operating partner and bartender at Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco, expressed gratitude to a number of people while accepting the medallion for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service during the ceremony, which was broadcast online.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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Under that settlement, authorities said Mitchell was barred for three years from engaging in commodity futures trading, including soliciting, receiving, or accepting funds for such activity.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Teboho Mokoena started the game with tears in his eyes and finished it with a smile on his face after converting a second-half penalty in South Africa's 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic on Thursday at the World Cup.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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The Menil Collection in Houston will reopen its Fresco Building in late 2027, converting the space into a site for site-specific commissions.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Juicy blueberries burst during baking, melding with the fresh peach juices for a gorgeous, saucy filling in this pie.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
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Parents are starting meal planning with the protein component first, then filling in the rest of the plate around it.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Regardless of who is playing quarterback come September, the Vikings need the run game to prevent the quarterback from shouldering too much of the load.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Yet few took advantage of them, and, in fact, many Amerco workers seemed to gravitate toward shouldering ever more work.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20over. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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