1
as in facing
to enter into contest or conflict with
will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hiring
to provide with a paying job
decided to take her on as store manager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in borrowing
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
recently arrived immigrants who are eager to take on the language and culture of their adopted homeland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of taking on
The widespread belief is the Dolphins will seek a trade partner for Tagovailoa, likely taking on a large chunk of the $54 million he is guaranteed in 2026.
—
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Dunleavy was adamant the team did not ask the Bucks about taking on Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green at the deadline, noting that the only time Green was discussed was when other teams inquired about the lifelong Warrior.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
After a disappointing 4-13 season last year, the Patriots are back in the title game tonight, taking on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
While not everyone gets their wishes, those with no interest in taking on the deceptive — and challenging — role of a Traitor likely won't be chosen.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The figure of Achilles, a warrior who singlehandedly choked a river with dead enemies before taking on the river god himself, provided a model for Alexander the Great and persists in contemporary popular entertainment, political speech, and military culture in celebrations of shock and awe.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Sunday’s game could be the first Clasico to feature English players in both teams — with Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold potentially taking on Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Now, advanced tech is taking on closets to help people choose their outfits for the day—and even professional fashion stylists are all-in on the business.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
The day will end with the Atlanta Falcons taking on the San Francisco 49ers.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Dunleavy was adamant the team did not ask the Bucks about taking on Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green at the deadline, noting that the only time Green was discussed was when other teams inquired about the lifelong Warrior.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
After a disappointing 4-13 season last year, the Patriots are back in the title game tonight, taking on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
While not everyone gets their wishes, those with no interest in taking on the deceptive — and challenging — role of a Traitor likely won't be chosen.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The figure of Achilles, a warrior who singlehandedly choked a river with dead enemies before taking on the river god himself, provided a model for Alexander the Great and persists in contemporary popular entertainment, political speech, and military culture in celebrations of shock and awe.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Sunday’s game could be the first Clasico to feature English players in both teams — with Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold potentially taking on Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Now, advanced tech is taking on closets to help people choose their outfits for the day—and even professional fashion stylists are all-in on the business.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
The day will end with the Atlanta Falcons taking on the San Francisco 49ers.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on
Verb
-
Acosta attempts By the time Epstein’s probation was over in 2010, Epstein was facing intense new scrutiny, as dozens of underage girls began filing federal civil lawsuits against him, including one that challenged the legality of his deal and threatened to put him in prison.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
-
French’s focus on DEI efforts and Islam, some of his opponents said, distracts voters from the actual issues facing Texas’ oil and gas industry.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nolting said the district posts positions based on student enrollment and said posting the position without student registrations could lead to hiring a teacher for a position that may not exist.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Subcontractors were selected in part based on their track records in hiring residents, minorities, and women, and in utilizing MBE/WBE firms.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Among Johnson’s proposals, Fitch pointed to borrowing for retroactive pay for firefighters and a reliance on new tax revenues that might end up in court, an allusion to the mayor’s social media and sports betting taxes.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
-
To be sure, home affordability has been impacted by more than borrowing costs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some of us had known each other for a long time, and some of us were just literally meeting.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Sleep scheduling techniques primarily apply heuristics for periodic check‑ins, event‑driven wake-ups, clustering, and time division to stretch lifetime while meeting QoS targets [5][6].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Often employing caricature, distortion and symbolism to communicate anxiety and resistance, his works are personal and political, offering a critique of the systems that oppress people of color.—
Evan Nicole Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
In a year, the Dolphins have gone from employing one of the most talented group of edge players to one of the least accomplished.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
He’s gone viral for opposing Republican state lawmakers moving to add the Ten Commandments to public classrooms, and at another point for criticizing those lawmakers for not adopting stricter gun laws in the face of mass shootings.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Feb. 2026
-
One of our recent studies found that the majority of EMS employers are open to adopting napping policies.—
P. Daniel Patterson,
The Conversation,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Divers and snorkelers weave through forests of giant kelp towers, encountering famously playful sea lions, neon fish, and even historic shipwrecks.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Patients have craved a solution after years of encountering lists that are often filled with inaccuracies, most notably whether doctors participate in an insurance plan’s network.—
Bob Herman,
STAT,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Wiseman has played a key role in recruiting companies to join the demolition effort.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Morning Consult, which often partners with Politico, collects very large samples—sometimes in the tens of thousands—-by recruiting people online, which costs less than conducting phone calls.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
