1
as in departing
to leave a place often for another
I can only stay for a few minutes, and then I'll need to take off again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removing
to rid oneself of (a garment)
take off your coat and stay awhile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in subtracting
to take away (an amount or number) from a total
the store will take an additional 20% off if you bring in this coupon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in robbing
slang
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
a gangbanger who decided to take off some fast-food joint
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking off
Kalkbrenner ceded the starting center role to Diabate while recovering from an elbow injury spanning parts of December and January and that’s also when the Hornets’ game-opening unit began taking off and flourishing.
—
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Feb. 2026
The next day, a United jetliner bound for Japan lost a tire while taking off from San Francisco but later landed safely in Los Angeles.
—ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
As to why the buildout is taking off, Thill said that, given today’s demand for AI data centers, the only concern among tech firms is the risk of not doing enough.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Mourinho had already made all of his substitutions, including taking off his entire front four, trying to see out a win.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Nedas is taking off at 20 points a game, including a 36-point effort Tuesday against Lincoln-Way Central.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
But once inside, as the crackling fire quickly warms you up, there’s no better feeling after hours on the trail than dropping your backpack on the floor, taking off your boots and settling in for a few days of peaceful escape.
—The Denver Post, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The plane crashed near Rio Linda Boulevard and Claire Avenue in North Sacramento’s Robla neighborhood shortly after taking off from Rio Linda Airport.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Close your eyes and picture taking off your shoes and socks on a warm, spring day.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2025
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Feb. 2026
The next day, a United jetliner bound for Japan lost a tire while taking off from San Francisco but later landed safely in Los Angeles.
—ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
As to why the buildout is taking off, Thill said that, given today’s demand for AI data centers, the only concern among tech firms is the risk of not doing enough.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Mourinho had already made all of his substitutions, including taking off his entire front four, trying to see out a win.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Nedas is taking off at 20 points a game, including a 36-point effort Tuesday against Lincoln-Way Central.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
But once inside, as the crackling fire quickly warms you up, there’s no better feeling after hours on the trail than dropping your backpack on the floor, taking off your boots and settling in for a few days of peaceful escape.
—The Denver Post, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The plane crashed near Rio Linda Boulevard and Claire Avenue in North Sacramento’s Robla neighborhood shortly after taking off from Rio Linda Airport.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Close your eyes and picture taking off your shoes and socks on a warm, spring day.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking off
Verb
-
Lock your home before departing.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York were also among the 10 states with the greatest numbers of departing residents.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the reservoirs of the Republican and Democratic voters evaporate, independents are becoming a stream of optimism for removing the wasteful and destructive policy of the two-party war that is pushing us further apart.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
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How to get rid of fruit flies To quickly eliminate fruit flies, start by thoroughly cleaning your kitchen and removing overripe or rotting fruits and vegetables.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It was calculated by subtracting the average net price of the school according to College Scorecard, or the average cost to those receiving financial aid, from the average earnings each year after enrollment.—
Sasha Allen,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
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Heating Degree Days are calculated by taking the day's high temperature and adding it to the day's low temperature, then dividing by 2 and subtracting that value from 65.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the indictment, Abrams and two other gang members are accused of robbing a 39-year-old man in Queens on June 19, 2023, 11 days after the attack on Vasquez.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Horgan’s debut feature How to Rob, also an indie crime movie, saw Chinaza Uche (Silo) and Koopman portray a two-man stick-up crew robbing criminals from Boston to Cape Cod.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These included rumors that Davis was exiting the company for a potential top position at Alaïa, and would be succeeded by Gucci’s former creative director Sabato De Sarno.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Money is exiting, but the majority of assets have remained in place, and some ETF experts say the money being pulled isn’t from the long-term investor or financial advisor that have begun allocating to the asset class.—
Krysta Escobar,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rather than deducting expenses, the 70% split remaining with the league would be used to cover costs.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
In addition, Dawson evaded paying state taxes and payroll taxes by failing to file the necessary tax returns, while deducting payroll taxes from the teachers’ paychecks and using those deductions for himself, the criminal complaint alleges.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rescuers used earth-moving equipment to retrieve the bodies, according to Ednar Dayanghirang, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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Mesh ventilation at the front and back allows airflow to circulate, which comes in handy when moving between cold cabins and warmer terminals.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Among life’s great procrastinations, putting off making a will seems to top insignificant things like delaying cleaning the house or starting a homework assignment.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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Mahomes on Wednesday accidentally got Chiefs fans excited about Kelce putting off retirement and returning for one more season.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20off. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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