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
From receiving a stark warning from a tech titan to earning a permanent thank-you from another, Risher’s unconventional career has been defined by taking on ambitious challenges.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
This is particularly true now that Middleton is back to taking on more engagements after her cancer.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2025
In Wired, Kate Knibbs profiles Abughazaleh and her campaign strategy of taking on Republicans in person, with uncompromising rhetoric.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Humanoid robots are already taking on some tasks and will take on more.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Risks of an imminent economic downturn are making businesses cautious about taking on new hires, and limiting opportunities for workers across the board.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
For months, the remaining employees at NWS have been working additional hours and taking on more responsibilities in an effort to maintain 24/7 coverage.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Starting with episode 1, Gross is behind the wheel of his adapted Porsche, taking on the legendary track at Watkins Glen.
—Kristin Shaw, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
This is particularly true now that Middleton is back to taking on more engagements after her cancer.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2025
In Wired, Kate Knibbs profiles Abughazaleh and her campaign strategy of taking on Republicans in person, with uncompromising rhetoric.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Humanoid robots are already taking on some tasks and will take on more.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Risks of an imminent economic downturn are making businesses cautious about taking on new hires, and limiting opportunities for workers across the board.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
For months, the remaining employees at NWS have been working additional hours and taking on more responsibilities in an effort to maintain 24/7 coverage.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Starting with episode 1, Gross is behind the wheel of his adapted Porsche, taking on the legendary track at Watkins Glen.
—Kristin Shaw, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on
Verb
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Single service handles not stored facing one direction to minimize hand contact with the business end or with the handle facing upright.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Partner at NewVest Ariel Ezrahi In such an environment, expanding retail-facing funds becomes an appealing lever, providing access to fresh money even as the traditional institutional pipeline weakens, private-equity players told CNBC.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In hiring Steve Cooper and then Nuno Espirito Santo, while investing money and overhauling the squad as Forest qualified for Europe for the first time in three decades, Marinakis was making good decisions.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Judging by the immediate reactions following the show, hiring one of the few great couturiers of this generation is a good start.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By Erin Hudson, Bloomberg A private school in Hillsborough is borrowing $26 million in muni bonds to modernize the historic mansion that stands as the picturesque centerpiece of the campus.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
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The council had previously discussed borrowing up to $11 million, and received approval for a loan in that amount.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Goldberg-Polin has become a global advocate for the remaining hostages, meeting with world leaders and speaking publicly about her loss.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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After meeting in high school, the pair began dating in 1972 and split four years later.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Consumers are also increasing their use of buy-now, pay-later programs, and shopping retailers employing AI more to personalize shopping offers and generate gift ideas.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
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There are several methods to get rid of mice, besides adopting a cat or employing Little Bunny Foo Foo to bop them on the head, of course.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Here, grizzlies don’t equate people with food—as opposed to populated areas where alluring smells forge a connection—and have learned to tolerate humans, thanks to decades of naturalists adopting nonthreatening practices.—
Susan Portnoy,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
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Despite higher long-term costs, the upfront expense of adopting a pet has actually decreased since 2024.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This might even account for the ways in which the Gospels portray Jesus as moving freely among the diverse economic and social strata of society, whether encountering Roman centurions or being invited to dine in wealthy homes of the time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
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When the eye looks symmetrical, that often means the storm is not encountering anything to weaken it.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The streaming giant is actively recruiting a generative AI product manager to join its Productivity Assistant team, offering a competitive salary range of $240,000 to $700,000 per year for a fully remote position.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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That was part of the rationale behind recruiting Paul Mitchell as sporting director in July 2024, given his background of running clubs who regularly compete in Europe.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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