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
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
Week 6 begins with the Eagles taking on the Giants.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
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
Week 6 begins with the Eagles taking on the Giants.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 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
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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
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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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Gelinas points out that the MTA pledges future bus fares to bond holders as a condition of borrowing money.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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The committee also approved borrowing $8 million for the Fire Department's aging equipment and requested a plan to add a farebox to The Hop streetcar.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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
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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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Williams pointed to schools potentially using magnetometers at events, while employing additional law enforcement to patrol the perimeter of large gatherings.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Solutions, employing old and new technologies, are under development by a number of private and public companies and in collaboration with the Department of Energy, which is required by law to accept and store spent nuclear fuel.—
Bob Woods,
CNBC,
9 Nov. 2025
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
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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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What should people do when encountering moose?—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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In the meantime, more essential services the government provides run the risk of running out of money, seeing staffing shortages and encountering other problems due to the lapse in funding.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
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 16 Nov. 2025.
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