TAKING UP Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

taking up

verb

present participle of take up

as in lifting

to move from a lower to a higher place or position please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drinking

to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in borrowing

to take for one's own use (something originated by another) one cluster of fans started chanting the team name of the champions, and the crowd quickly took up the cry

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 up Some are banning their kids from taking up football; others defend it for building bonds and teaching life skills. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026 This September, the facility welcomed 34 kits from seven litters, marking the most productive season in its 25-year history of taking up the project. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026 While most voters tell us their biggest concern is affordability, a new issue has entered the chat, taking up an outsized amount of space on the campaign trail, on the airwaves, and in party war rooms. — S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026 Yet Texhibition Istanbul itself has been holding steady, taking up five halls while other exhibitions around the world were shrinking. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026 The synthetic shapeshifter, wanted for intergalactic war crimes, has rewarded the townspeople with good health and prosperity in exchange for protecting her identity and taking up arms should trouble ever come to Rushville. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2026 Penthouse 5501 spans roughly 9,200 square feet, taking up an entire floor of the 62-story building, with 360-degree views of Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2026 Two people were killed after protestors exchanged gunfire with federal officers, one of the bullets taking up permanent residence in the Lyceum doorframe. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 Pair it with jeans, dresses, midi skirts—pretty much anything, really—for an instantly polished look that adds an extra layer of warmth without taking up precious space in your luggage. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking up

Verb

Between 2027 and 2029, the heavy lifting shifts to intentional operating-model convergence.

— Rajjie Sarmey, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
In the report, Shedd veterinarians said preexisting sickness likely compromised the whales’ health and left them vulnerable during the relocation process, which involved lifting the belugas by crane and flying them across international borders.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of lifting

Verb

The officer, Michael Zerfas, testified that Oates had not been drinking, using drugs or on his cellphone.

— Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
The backstory For most of my life, the Old Dutch Inn has been just a faint memory of kicking my legs from a bar stool, drinking a Shirley Temple next to my late grandmother, who would likely have been nursing a gin and tonic.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of drinking

Verb

Last year’s installment was five months late, Johnson said, and the district considered borrowing to make do.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Now those companies are using those stockpiles to build out AI data centers, and are borrowing even more money to do so.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of borrowing

Verb

Eckhart disputed the network’s explanation and alleged she was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about harassment and a toxic workplace.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2026
Leaders with bold strategic plans, meaningful missions and capable teams … who are somehow still raising roughly the same dollars year after year.

— Sherry Quam Taylor, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of raising

Verb

In the context of Texas, these differences might not have mattered, since the Jews, like other citizens of the fast-growing state, were adept at absorbing immigrants.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
The agency spokesperson says that the anechoic chamber hadn’t been upgraded since 1997 and that its microwave-absorbing foam spires were crumbling.

— Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorbing

Verb

While multiple organizers said some funders had expressed an interest in adopting different strategies, racial justice organizers have felt that as a betrayal.

— Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Entrepreneurs across China are adopting AI in the hopes of cutting costs, remaining competitive, and aligning their firms with Beijing’s priorities.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of adopting

Verb

While mostly casual and pared-back, the classic jeans-and-T-shirt combo didn’t stop the actress from elevating her late-night look.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Five-year board member Tim Blackburn, a historian for the society for about a year, said elevating knowledge about the archives is important.

— Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of elevating

Verb

Middleton regularly gravitates toward earthy tones during the fall season, embracing chocolate browns, moss greens and more in her royal wardrobe.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
My biggest battle in making this was embracing the simplicity of the story.

— Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026