TAKING ON Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

taking on

verb

Definition of taking on next

present participle of take on

as in facing

to enter into contest or conflict with will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hiring

to provide with a paying job decided to take her on as store manager

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 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 Unlike with Netflix or HBO, YouTube creators are taking on the risk for their projects (though, granted, there’s a great disparity in production budgets). —

Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 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 same is true for Daniel Kaluuya, who is taking on a fresh take on the purple dino for A24, with Ayo Edebiri co-starring. —

Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025 The day will end with the Atlanta Falcons taking on the San Francisco 49ers. —

Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025 While other people were asking about promotions, titles, and raises, Burns was taking on the problems nobody else wanted to solve. —

Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on

Verb

That balance of a decades-old history and a new brand’s need to establish itself in its own right shapes the leadership challenge facing Strazik, who joined GE in 2000 when it was still led by Jack Welch, one of the defining — and most debated — business leaders of the 20th century.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
The home team’s test not only was facing a 76ers team on a five-game win streak, but also finding the energy to keep pace.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026