TOOK OVER Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

took over

verb

past tense of take over

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

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Relevance

as in accepted

to take to or upon oneself took over the responsibility of caring for the animals

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 over When Rogers, the first Black woman to serve as the White House’s social secretary, was fired from her role, Burnough took over in the interim. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026 One of the pinnacle moments of KC’s World Cup was the enormous flood of orange that took over downtown during the Dutch fans’ Orange Walk on June 25. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 Counterterror police took over the investigation Monday after new evidence was discovered. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 Detectives with the Lincoln Police Department and a crime scene investigator took over the investigation, with assistance from investigators from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026 In 1995, Ada County took over the raft and tube rental operation after a legal dispute with the company that offered raft and food concessions, according to Statesman reporting at the time. — Carolyn Komatsoulis updated July 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 July 2026 The Coast Guard took over operations of the nation’s lighthouses in 1939, and by the early 1990s, most were automated. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 Boston is also now 31-31 since Tracy took over as interim manager, and with Baltimore’s 5-2 loss to the Cubs, the Red Sox have moved out of last place for the first time since May 23. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026 The Mets posted their fourth shutout and won for the second time in five games since Andy Green took over as interim manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired last Friday. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took over

Verb

The group figured Smith’s admission date had to have been entered in error; a clerk must have substituted his birth date by mistake.

— Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
Bellingham was substituted into the match in the 79th minute.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Definition of substituted

Verb

Sanford and Son ended after the actor accepted an offer from competitor ABC to star in his own variety series, which lasted less than a year.

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Since then, Carr has accepted tickets annually, except when the 2020 event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to his public disclosures.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026

Definition of accepted

Verb

And the politicians who stood in the way of that freedom will be held to account.

— Danny Kaplowitz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
Filmed in Ontario‘s historic Unionville neighborhood—which stood in as the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut—the episode featured a real-life Victorian residence that served as the home to mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 July 2026

Definition of stood in

Verb

Alex Lange has assumed the closer’s role as the season has progressed.

— Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Illnesses from the parasite are assumed to be an undercount since many people who get cyclosporiasis, which causes unrelenting diarrhea, cramping and bloating, may be embarrassed to see a doctor or may try to wait out their symptoms at home.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 13 July 2026

Definition of assumed

Verb

The victim followed the fleeing Jeep on foot and grabbed onto the vehicle when it got stuck in traffic, authorities said.

— Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
In September 2020, author Elin Hilderbrand grabbed a drink at the Nantucket Hotel bar with a visiting writer friend.

— Clarissa Cruz, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

But experts say the costs of the fertilizer shortage will be largely shouldered by farmers.

— Joe Hernandez, NPR, 3 July 2026
That number, however, does not include the costs being shouldered by local, state and federal governments, with the Athletic reporting that the host cities were each spending upwards of $100 million to accommodate the tournament.

— Brett Knight, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of shouldered

Browse Nearby Words

took out

took over

took ship

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Style

“Took over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20over. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of took over

verb

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