1
2
as in employed
to provide with a paying job
decided to take her on as store manager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in borrowed
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 took on
As heir to the throne, Elizabeth ultimately took on a role she wasn't born for.
—
Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Remaining crew members then took on supplies and set course for the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, the ship’s operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Caro had joined Warners in April 2024, and took on his previous post in January 2025 after Alberto Carullo, then VP of Productions for Italy and Iberia at what was then Max, left WBD to join Mediaset.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 May 2026
The nearby business Pallet Rack KC also took on some water on part of its property.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
Matt Shaw of the Chicago Cubs took on a stunning amount of hate for attending the memorial service of his close friend, Charlie Kirk, following his assassination.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Martinez’s freedom comes after attorneys with the Korey Wise Innocence Project, an organization within the University of Colorado Law School that provides free legal services to people who claim to be wrongfully convicted, took on his case about four years ago.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
International Literary Properties took on the role after entering into a strategic partnership with The University of the South in 2025.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Jafaar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson, took on his first acting role to play his uncle, Michael Jackson, in the biopic.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Remaining crew members then took on supplies and set course for the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, the ship’s operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Caro had joined Warners in April 2024, and took on his previous post in January 2025 after Alberto Carullo, then VP of Productions for Italy and Iberia at what was then Max, left WBD to join Mediaset.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 May 2026
The nearby business Pallet Rack KC also took on some water on part of its property.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
Matt Shaw of the Chicago Cubs took on a stunning amount of hate for attending the memorial service of his close friend, Charlie Kirk, following his assassination.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Martinez’s freedom comes after attorneys with the Korey Wise Innocence Project, an organization within the University of Colorado Law School that provides free legal services to people who claim to be wrongfully convicted, took on his case about four years ago.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026
International Literary Properties took on the role after entering into a strategic partnership with The University of the South in 2025.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Jafaar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson, took on his first acting role to play his uncle, Michael Jackson, in the biopic.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took on
Verb
-
This is not the first time Abiy has faced such accusations.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
Hernandez, who is transgender, has faced harassment and ire from anti-trans protesters and conservative pundits during the past two years.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, was employed by Ohio State’s athletic department and medical staff for nearly two decades.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
More than 60 cameras were employed to swoop around the stage and arena as Perry hopscotched through aerial stunts, pyro blasts and more than a couple of costume changes.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Other states also borrowed money to keep benefits flowing during the pandemic, and all but California have repaid their loans.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
Whether stolen, borrowed, or bought, public trash cans from various cities—New York, Berlin, Rome, and Bolzano—are sparsely distributed across the hall.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Larry King and Billie Jean King met at Cal State Los Angeles and married in 1965.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
The game Friday was the fourth year in a row the Colts and Highlanders met in the finals, and with the exception of 2025, the Colts have won each time.—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired as superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
And yet, in the same window, my 50-person consulting firm hired its first full-stack software developer in January.—
Rob Collie,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Late Friday, however, state officials adopted a new structure for the emissions program, called cap-and-invest, that analysts say will likely reduce wildfire mitigation funding by $200 million per year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Taken together, those cultural threads help explain why food – and especially meat – carries an outsized symbolic role in Texas politics, where the official state dish, adopted in 1977, is chili, defined by its significant meat base.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But what about those who have already encountered visitors from outer space?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
Both plans encountered staunch opposition from environmental groups and farming advocates and were eventually withdrawn.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The vast majority must be recruited from the approximately 180,000 students and residents in civilian programs.—
Robert Krasner,
STAT,
1 June 2026
-
Hopkins, a Nashville native whose dad Brad was a tackle in the NFL, received a late offer from Florida, but he was otherwise lightly recruited and committed to the first Power 4 school to offer him, Purdue.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Took on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20on. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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