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
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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
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
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Pakko acknowledged the challenges row-crop farmers are facing and how that contributed to his predictions for the overall Arkansas economy.—
Sydney Sasser,
Arkansas Online,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Bank of America’s virtual financial assistant, Erica, is at the forefront of the bank’s client-facing technology.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Since 2022, numerous campuses have added new safety features – such as installing more cameras on campus and hiring additional police officers – while also working to strengthen their relationships with federal and local law enforcement, according to Inside Higher Ed.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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The defense lawyer had long since moved on from the Rideout case to defend other clients, including one accused of hiring someone to kill his former wife.—
Sarah Weinman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Fortunately, borrowing with a home equity loan now, at the start of 2026, is more affordable than it's been in quite some time.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
That would eliminate the free ride that investors can enjoy by borrowing against their holdings.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The two have been close since meeting at a 2014 Oscars after-party.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
-
To this day, it's celebrated as one of the most iconic musical pairings ever captured on television — a shimmering handoff between generations and a snapshot of two powerhouse voices meeting in perfect harmony.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in recent weeks, employing a tactic used in previous winters.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Local productions shifted away from sweeping narratives toward stories reflecting everyday life, employing diverse visual styles and genres to meet varied audience preferences.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They were married in 1968, with Miguel Bezos adopting her young son, and had two more kids, Christina and Mark.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The minute-long teaser is heavy on performance footage, with Jaafar Jackson adopting the famous outfits and dance moves that made his uncle famous.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The shocking clip shows 27-year-old Emily Marzilli and friends encountering a hungry Bryde's whale while swimming near a school of sardines.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Each episode finds Xena (Lawless) and her companion Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) encountering characters from both history and mythology.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most of Ukraine’s Donbas region, where the 17 were said to be trapped, is under Russian military control, and Moscow has been accused in the past by developing countries of recruiting their citizens to fight on its behalf under false pretenses.—
Reuters 16 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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He is known for calling a potent offense at every stop and recruiting successfully in a way that reaches younger generations.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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