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
Olympic gold medalist Arisa Trew secured her second winning result of the weekend with a switch McTwist — a 540-degree twist taking off from her opposite side while grabbing the middle of the board — during women’s vert best trick, which featured a field of athletes averaging only 16 1/2 years old.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
28 June 2026
During that time, the suspects took the woman's bracelet off her wrist without her knowing before taking off, according to police.
—
Dejanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
For example, Dublin Airport (DUB) and Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) both have United States pre-clearance facilities, where a traveler goes through the necessary visit with a CBP officer before taking off.
—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
Why the honey scent trend is taking off The appeal of a honey scent comes down to balance.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
Ramaswamy became Snowflake’s chief executive in 2024, as the AI boom was taking off.
—
Sebastian Herrera,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Brian's car then flips multiple times and lands in a body of water, with the driver responsible apparently taking off.
—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
The mission brought a roller coaster of highs and lows after taking off from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facilities at Texas’ southernmost tip.
—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Look at the success that Pamela Anderson is having after taking off all her makeup.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
28 June 2026
During that time, the suspects took the woman's bracelet off her wrist without her knowing before taking off, according to police.
—
Dejanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
For example, Dublin Airport (DUB) and Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) both have United States pre-clearance facilities, where a traveler goes through the necessary visit with a CBP officer before taking off.
—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
Why the honey scent trend is taking off The appeal of a honey scent comes down to balance.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
Ramaswamy became Snowflake’s chief executive in 2024, as the AI boom was taking off.
—
Sebastian Herrera,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Brian's car then flips multiple times and lands in a body of water, with the driver responsible apparently taking off.
—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
The mission brought a roller coaster of highs and lows after taking off from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facilities at Texas’ southernmost tip.
—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Look at the success that Pamela Anderson is having after taking off all her makeup.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking off
Verb
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Geoff was concerned about his children departing for college, leaving him and his wife as empty nesters.
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Also departing was Celebrity Autobiography, the specialty show with a rotating cast of stars reading the memoirs of other celebrities to comic effect.
Verb
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Having clarity around service charges is the only way eateries can survive, said restaurateur Eddie Pozzuoli, who runs Eddie & Vinny’s in Coral Springs — because the only alternative to removing fees is hiking prices.
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Lemon can be used for everything from freshening bed linens to removing stains from clothes–including cleaning your microwave.
Verb
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Gross profit is revenue without subtracting the cost of production expenses.
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What did help ease respondent's minds, based on the survey results, was having a higher net worth, found by subtracting a household's liabilities from its assets.
Verb
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Also in 2007, Spencer was sentenced concurrently to seven years in prison for choking a woman, slamming her head to the ground, and robbing her of her cellphone, and for smashing into a woman's car and ransacking it, prosecutors said.
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Now that shares are hovering just above the company’s opening price, struggling to clear even the mid $150s by midday Wednesday, Musk’s net value has once again shrunk to a still-obscene $957 billion, according to Bloomberg‘s Billionaires Index, robbing him of his new honorific.
Verb
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An Uber driver taking fans to Kansas City’s first World Cup match was injured, as was a woman who was exiting Interstate 70 on her way to pick up her brother.
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The ships included eight tankers and two cargo ships exiting the Persian Gulf and eight tankers and six cargo ships entering it.
Verb
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But be careful about putting off work for too long.
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While delaying care may seem like a practical way to manage vet costs in the short term, putting off treatment can sometimes create larger financial and medical challenges in the future.
Verb
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After deducting their settlement fee and other charges, the net savings typically range from 20% to 25% of the original balance.
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Beginning in 2026, the rules surrounding deducting losses become even more penalizing.
Verb
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Hotel security believed Zimmerman was intoxicated before his show during soundcheck, reportedly falling and stumbling onstage, throwing microphones, tossing cymbals, knocking over parts of his drum kit, swinging a guitar, and more.
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Beteille said his group was waved through a metal detector before another security employee pushed them forward, knocking over part of it.
Cite this Entry
“Taking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20off. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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