TOOK ON Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

took on

verb

past tense of take on

as in faced

to enter into contest or conflict with will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in employed

to provide with a paying job decided to take her on as store manager

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 In his early films, Greene observed individuals who took on different, sometimes contradictory roles in their lives. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026 The star of ‘Ripley’ and ‘All of Us Strangers’ star steps up in a performance of emotional depth as Ian Charleson, the Scottish actor who took on Hamlet at the end of his life. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 As Kierny admonished both sides to follow the court’s rules, Davis took on prosecutor Michael DiGiacomo directly. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 In making the deals, the Twins uncharacteristically took on payroll, paying the entirety of the roughly $5 million combined owed to Minter and Kremer. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Yungblud easily took on the song’s euphoric verses as Corgan accompanied on guitar, both clad in all-black, from the four-time-platinum LP. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2026 Jefferson took on the role of writing the first draft of the declaration. — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026 Ament didn’t quite reach his offensive potential at Tennessee, but this is not dissimilar to the gamble the Bucks once took on a young Antetokounmpo. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 24 June 2026 Influencer Gabriela Moura made her World Cup debut on Saturday as her home country of Brazil took on Morocco. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took on

Verb

Serbia is formally seeking membership in the European Union, but the effort has stalled under Vucic, who has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic freedoms, including the media.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
No two knee injuries are the same, of course, and Seguin faced an obstacle that Mahomes apparently didn’t have to deal with.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of faced

Verb

The seed may have been employed as a painkiller or as a social and cultural practice still influencing its modern use.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
Once employed for red-carpet transformations for some ultra-glamorous lengths, extensions are increasingly becoming an everyday styling tool as a way to add density, movement, or just a few extra inches without fundamentally changing a cut.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of employed

Verb

Federal officials allege that the companies used the funds from the loans to repay outstanding business loans borrowed by a separate Wolak and Lentini-owned company, which was prohibited under the terms of the loans.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Lately, they’re increasingly placed asymmetrically, a detail borrowed from athletic shoes that’s now trickling down to streetwear.

— Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of borrowed

Verb

In mid-September, a grand jury met over five days to decide whether there was probable cause of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Wells’s death.

— Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
Allison has met Xi and visited China multiple times, including in June 2026 for a World Economic Forum event.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of met

Verb

The Colombian military veterans had been hired as security contractors by the Doral-area firm Counter Terrorist Unit and its affiliate, Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy, collectively known as CTU.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Commissioners hired Sean Newton as Downs’ replacement in March but fired him just five months later in a 3-2 vote.

— Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of hired

Verb

The dine-in omakase counter has sadly departed, but in its stead, Café Sushi Shoten has adopted a to-go model paired with Japanese groceries and sundries that is no less authentic, engaging, and delicious.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
To date, about 100 restaurants nationwide have adopted SuiSui.

— Masayuki Oi Japan News, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of adopted

Verb

The security companies, Counter Terrorist Unit and its affiliate, Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy, collectively known as CTU, recruited former soldiers of Colombia’s military as contractors.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
She is gradually recruited into the household’s emotional weather.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026