1
as in departed
to leave a place often for another
I can only stay for a few minutes, and then I'll need to take off again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removed
to rid oneself of (a garment)
take off your coat and stay awhile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in deducted
to take away (an amount or number) from a total
the store will take an additional 20% off if you bring in this coupon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in robbed
slang
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
a gangbanger who decided to take off some fast-food joint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 off
That single post hit 800,000 views in about a week — and from there, the trend took off.
—
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
The crash happened shortly after the plane took off, according to Colombia's defense minister.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Dollar stores and the first off-price retailers rose to popularity in the 1990s, but really took off around 2010 following the recession, according to Dylan Carden, a specialty retail analyst at William Blair.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
When the chute opened, Demon Dancing took off and bucked to push Kippes backwards.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
The controversy around the collaboration took off when Spurs player Luke Kornet posted a blog encouraging the league to cancel the event, which was later posted as an opinion piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Pittsfield’s athleticism proved too much in its full-court press, helping generate nine turnovers in the frame while the offense took off.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Their label, Street Mob, took off during the pandemic, when touring stalled.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
The Freedom Plane took off Monday from a cold and windy Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for its first stop in Kansas City, Missouri.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
The crash happened shortly after the plane took off, according to Colombia's defense minister.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Dollar stores and the first off-price retailers rose to popularity in the 1990s, but really took off around 2010 following the recession, according to Dylan Carden, a specialty retail analyst at William Blair.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
When the chute opened, Demon Dancing took off and bucked to push Kippes backwards.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
The controversy around the collaboration took off when Spurs player Luke Kornet posted a blog encouraging the league to cancel the event, which was later posted as an opinion piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Pittsfield’s athleticism proved too much in its full-court press, helping generate nine turnovers in the frame while the offense took off.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Their label, Street Mob, took off during the pandemic, when touring stalled.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
The Freedom Plane took off Monday from a cold and windy Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for its first stop in Kansas City, Missouri.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took off
Verb
-
Chosen as the replacement to the game mid at-bat with a runner on first base when Chicago Cubs starter Cade Horton departed in the second inning, Rea had to get ready on the fly.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The chief communications officer role at OpenAI has remained vacant since Hannah Wong departed earlier this year.—
Alyson Shontell,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, insurgents led by now-interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched to Damascus and removed Assad from power.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
On the court, though, Tatum has not looked like a player who is less than a year removed from Achilles surgery.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Apps such as TurboTax, H&R Block and TaxSlayer can make filing more convenient but typically charge a fee that may be deducted from your refund.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Wilder got the only knockdown in the eighth round, sending Chisora through the ropes, but the American was deducted a point in the same round for pushing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This was believed to be the first time in baseball history a player has robbed three homers in one game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Life for a child should be a time of wonder and discovery, but children with cancer are sometimes robbed of those wonders.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The contest was delayed for about 10 minutes in the fourth after plate umpire Ron Kulpa exited due to taking a foul ball off his mask.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Michael Lorenzen took the mound with conviction to be part of the solution at Coors Field, and exited in disgrace.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While Robinson's defense is seeking to put off his preliminary hearing for another six months, Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, has filed a notice with the court invoking her right to seek a speedy trial as a victim under Utah law.—
Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the post, the shopper described being put off by the condition of the shop and the behavior of two employees behind the counter.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The total amount of money a business generates from selling its goods or services, before any expenses are subtracted.—
Madeline Bilis,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Fely reached the 40-rep mark, but two were deemed not to have reached full extension and were subtracted from his total.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the moment that deeply moved his former manager came in the top of the first, as the veteran shortstop readied himself for his first at-bat at Fenway as a visiting player.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
-
His income moved dramatically from year to year, from a high of around $166 million in 2021 to a low of around $8 million the following year.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Took off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20off. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
