took on

Definition of took onnext
past tense of take on

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 took on After another easy basket from Dailey, Dent took on Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, stepped-back for a jumper, and benefitted from a shooter’s bounce. Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026 Into the 21st century, Davis took on less film roles and more TV work. Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026 Later, the McDiarmid family—who lamented the closure of the original hotel and dreamt of opening their own—took on the passion project with help from a stable of longtime Tofino residents. Jennie Nunn, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026 Ball was joined on the bench in street clothes by Collin Sexton, who sat out with a neck strain when the Hornets took on the Heat in East Group C action at Kasaya Center on Friday night. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025 That is certainly true for series star Robert Englund, who took on the role of Freddy Krueger. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 In 2003, Matthew Broderick took on the role of Harold Hill for a television movie adaptation. Alexis Mikulski Ruiz, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025 The concept dates back centuries but took on a new life in the twentieth, when Russian theosophist couple Nicholas and Helena Roerich led an expedition in the 1920s to find Shambhala in the Altai Mountains. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025 After his passing, Mango’s chief executive officer Roni Ruiz took on the role of chairman of the board. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took on
Verb
  • Even for top-class wine producers like PFV members have faced the challenge.
    Yuri Shima, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Gipson and Lorenz initially faced local charges stemming from their arrests and were arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Licensed pyrotechnic operators receive training, but there are no clear requirements for non-operators employed by fireworks companies.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • To address this, the Statista R research team employed triangulation, combining secondary data from global sources and national datasets with primary data from university reports and data submissions to verify collected information.
    TIME Staff, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • While on the runway the dress was blue and black with a trompe-l’œil design, Robbie’s look leaned into more Victorian-era flourishes, with a laced strapless bodice and an onyx and scarlet red gradient petal skirt, striking colors which borrowed from other styles in the show.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
  • In Naples, Lobotka became a regista, the Italian term for a ‘six’ borrowed from cinema.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The five-year pro met that threshold with Memphis by appearing in 64 games in 2024-25.
    Tony East, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Babz described Stidham’s wife, Kennedy, as one of the best people he’s ever met due to her loyalty to her husband and his journey in football.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Falcons recently hired former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as their coach after parting ways with Raheem Morris.
    Mike Darnay, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
  • The front door of Poké Court now locks automatically, and Chin has hired a doorman.
    Clio Chang, Curbed, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The company later adopted the name Blue Bell Creameries, inspired by the native Texas bluebell wildflower.
    Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Azad doesn’t know that she’s adopted, and Rojîn struggles with how to tell her.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But even at a progressive institution like Antioch, Coretta encountered the quiet betrayal of liberal hypocrisy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Freestyle Libre maintained impressive growth, although overall device sales encountered some challenges from year-over-year comparisons.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The brothers met victims at nightclubs, parties and on dating apps, and recruited others for trips to ritzy locales, paying for their flights and lodging at high-end hotels or luxe vacation rentals before drugging and raping them, prosecutors said.
    CBS News, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
  • In the October strike, Kaiser recruited 7,600 travel nurses and other workers to help fill positions for the striking healthcare workers.
    Pat Maio, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Took on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20on. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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