took on

past tense of take on
1
as in faced
to enter into contest or conflict with will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 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 Sauk County in 2025 took on the responsiblity for and covered some operational tasks that UW-Platteville had previously covered, such as snow-shoveling and lawn-mowing. Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025 For television, Eggar starred opposite Yul Brynner in a 1972 CBS adaptation of The King and I and took on the role of the manipulative Phyllis Dietrichson, famously played by Barbara Stanwyck on the big screen, in a 1973 ABC remake of Double Indemnity. Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 This is how an international football fixture already meaningful on the pitch for Norway took on a geopolitical significance. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 As the brand grew, however, Laine emerged as the company's director of guides, while her husband took on the position of director of programming. Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 Wizards of Waverly Place star David Henrie took on the role of Ted and Tracy's son, Luke. Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025 Hilleary took on the House chief of staff role years after his own time in office ended. David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025 Colin Hanks did the vast majority of the interviews, but Reynolds took on Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took on
Verb
  • Wealthier Americans have been assisted by rising house values, lucrative stock market returns and favorable credit, while lower- and middle-income buyers have faced tighter budgets and have been hit hard by rising inflation.
    Michael Wayland, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Council members faced resident uproar in recent years over issues surrounding zoning, affordable housing and the city’s attempts to build a community center.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One tactic she’s employed is seeking out new partnerships.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • One essential difference between the drawings and the paintings is the tool employed for mark making.
    Grace Edquist, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Breaking the 65 mm barrier The new design borrowed ideas from an older and unusual frame known as the bone drone.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Some have borrowed against their bitcoin reserves to raise cash, others are exploring bitcoin as collateral in credit markets, and payments firms are experimenting with instant settlement across borders.
    Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Citing the Iquique Fishermen's Federation in the northern Chilean port city, Radio Bío-Bío reported that local fishers have not encountered Humboldt squid for three months, as Chinese vessels were suspected of disrupting the squid's migration toward the coast.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Police said the officers encountered Billings prior to hearing screams at the park.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Norvell was hired as a contrast to the personally tempestuous and offensively conservative Addazio.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Anthropic also hired senior Biden-era officials to lead its government relations team, Sacks noted.
    MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The animals that wound up in the shelter, some strays and a few surrendered by owners who couldn’t care for them, were unlikely to get adopted; anyone in Pecos who wanted a dog probably already had three.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Johnstons adopted Alex on May 17, 2008.
    Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The actor had previously met success with the first film in Netflix's The Kissing Booth series, but his searing performance as the nervy, brooding jock Nate Jacobs was among the most potent features that made Euphoria a water cooler hit.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The council has met regularly since the fall to collect public input and formulate recommendations, but the final proposal for a graduation standard to the governor will be made by the Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Chelsea recruited heavily over the summer, which should ease the burden on Palmer.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Her Filipino parents emigrated from big-city Manila to this tiny farming community of 2,000 people in the 1970s, when her father, a surgeon, was recruited to work there.
    NPR, NPR, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Took on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20on. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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