1
as in substituted
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in accepted
to take to or upon oneself
took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seized
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
students protesting the war took over the college's radio station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of took over
Hostetler took over for Phil Simms with two weeks remaining in the 1990 season, fire alarms blaring.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Jerry Mack, a former NFL assistant and head coach at North Carolina Central, took over for Brian Bohannon and things instantly looked better in a 10-9 season-opening loss at Wake Forest.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
When co-host Pat Sajak retired in 2024 after more than four decades on the show, Ryan Seacrest took over co-hosting duties, despite some fans hoping White would get the job.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The new restaurant took over and renovated the former Arby’s location vacated last year.
—Teresa Stepzinski, Florida Times-Union, 22 Jan. 2026
Pope did his thing with 12 first-half points and Mark took over from there with 18 of his 21 points in the second half, including three triples that had the crowd roaring in approval.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
This will be the first full season for Angel City coach Alex Straus, who took over in June last season.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
The price was $805,000, and the new owners took over the house in November.
—Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Jerry Mack, a former NFL assistant and head coach at North Carolina Central, took over for Brian Bohannon and things instantly looked better in a 10-9 season-opening loss at Wake Forest.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
When co-host Pat Sajak retired in 2024 after more than four decades on the show, Ryan Seacrest took over co-hosting duties, despite some fans hoping White would get the job.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The new restaurant took over and renovated the former Arby’s location vacated last year.
—Teresa Stepzinski, Florida Times-Union, 22 Jan. 2026
Pope did his thing with 12 first-half points and Mark took over from there with 18 of his 21 points in the second half, including three triples that had the crowd roaring in approval.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
This will be the first full season for Angel City coach Alex Straus, who took over in June last season.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
The price was $805,000, and the new owners took over the house in November.
—Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took over
Verb
-
Hurzeler also substituted Jan Paul van Hecke after 61 minutes of the Dutch central defender’s return from a hamstring injury which ruled him out of Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
They've been substituted for equivalent store or name brands when necessary.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Applications are now being accepted through Locarno Pro until May 6, 2026.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Applications are being accepted through Wednesday, March 4.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Authorities have seized more than €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
-
While Japan has seized fishing vessels from South Korea and Taiwan in recent years, the incident is the first involving a vessel from China since 2022 and comes against the backdrop of a major diplomatic dispute between the countries.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The message also stood in contrast to early online criticism questioning whether a Spanish-language performer should lead America's biggest entertainment stage.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The stylistic choice stood in stark contrast to other tech power players in the same exchanges, like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor, whose messages show more traditional attention to grammar and syntax.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Putin also assumed that a multipolar world would free him from American interference.—
Alan Cullison,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Without that data, the BLS assumed that no price increases had taken place during the month for most categories of goods and services.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Doncic turned to run back up the court and grabbed the back of his left leg.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Jarrett Allen scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder added 11 points in his Cavaliers debut and Keon Ellis had 6 points in his first game with the Cavaliers, who won for the seventh time in eight games.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Her brothers naturally became involved uncles, offering guidance, emotional support, and quality time, while a cousin who felt more like a sister stepped in as a reliable aunt figure.—
Halona Black,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Jack Drury stepped in front of a Giroux pass near the blue line and fed Nichushkin all alone in front.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Manager Joe Espada recently suggested those numbers reflected in part the workload Altuve shouldered for a short-handed roster.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson shouldered some of the blame for Karl-Anthony Towns fouling out while attempting to set a screen for him in overtime of the Knicks’ 137-134 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Took over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20over. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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