TAKING UP Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

taking up

verb

present participle of take up

as in lifting

to move from a lower to a higher place or position please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drinking

to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in borrowing

to take for one's own use (something originated by another) one cluster of fans started chanting the team name of the champions, and the crowd quickly took up the cry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of taking up Pair it with jeans, dresses, midi skirts—pretty much anything, really—for an instantly polished look that adds an extra layer of warmth without taking up precious space in your luggage. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2026 The tattoo has been arduous work for William, with setbacks and botched work taking up much of the past decade. — Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 Bi is at work on a black gown with a veil, which Christian worries is taking up too much time. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 Engineers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) are developing a new type of heatsink that could help electronics manage short bursts of intense heat while taking up significantly less space and weight. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 The model credits pasture for taking up carbon but does not count the carbon carried away in wool and livestock as leaving the system. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026 Sort the list, prep the meal, or handle the task that has been quietly taking up brain space. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026 This is supportive energy for closure, rest, or releasing a feeling that has been taking up too much room behind the scenes. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 Indeed, so much so that there are suggestions that the people from better-off backgrounds are taking up many of the limited number of places. — Roger Trapp, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking up

Verb

Open your Shop-Vac by unbuckling the side latches and lifting the top unit off the machine.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Okoaskin is one of the brands putting IDEALIFT™ (acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester) to work in its lifting cream.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of lifting

Verb

Alas, borrowing Carpenter’s surface-level signatures doesn’t mean that his impeccable sense of suspense and rhythm are also transferred, or his sharp cultural commentary.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
That is an enormous volume of borrowing outside crisis times.

— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of borrowing

Verb

Warner had the most eyebrow-raising quote of the 49ers’ postgame press conferences ahead of their 16-hour flight home, while many of his teammates sidestepped questions about the disparate approaches the teams had before the game.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
According to British media, Dimon warned the pair on Wednesday against raising the tax burden on banks in next month's budget.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of raising

Verb

Beyond its vast holdings of US debt, Japan remains one of the premier foreign buyers in global sovereign bond markets, with government debt from major European economies and Australia historically absorbing substantial Japanese capital inflows.

— , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
As a result, each shell collapses sequentially, gradually absorbing and dissipating the kinetic energy.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorbing

Verb

So far, Republicans have had a mixed response, with candidates adopting platforms best reflecting the sentiment of their communities, but the issue is almost certain to dominate between now and the November election.

— James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026
Cities and local transportation agencies will also be tasked with adopting changes to keep the Olympics from disrupting daily commutes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026