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
State police took over the investigation nearly a month after the allegations were reported.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
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 $932,000 and the new owners took over the house in November.
—Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
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 $932,000 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
-
Mop Tile Floors In a pinch, shampoo can be substituted for floor cleaner.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Due to yogurt’s many amazing qualities and versatility, plain yogurt can be substituted for milk in cake and muffin recipes, swapped for sour cream with baked potatoes, and substituted for mayonnaise in salad dressing.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But after scoring 115 points and still losing, John Calipari’s Razorbacks wouldn’t have accepted anything less than a win their next time out.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
22 Feb. 2026
-
In May 2024, Adrianna – dressed in a pink cap and gown – accepted Sade's degree at what should have been her big sister's graduation.—
Lauren A. White,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Against the odds, Ukraine managed to repel the initial Russian attack on Kyiv and, within a few months, took back large swaths of land originally seized by Moscow.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
In October 2022, two months after FBI agents seized boxes of materials from his Mar-a-Lago home, the then-former president questioned a president’s or former president’s legal authority to declassify sensitive information.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That particular corner was filled with pink shirts and defeated faces, and Salloi stood in front of them, fingers in the corners of his mouth, drawing his smile wide like the Joker.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The King’s tactics in dealing with the unfolding allegations around Andrew have stood in contrast to that of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
With 650,000 fans expected to jam the city over the course of the month-long tournament, Burks assumed hundreds of other Kansas City homeowners must surely be doing the same, yes?—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
21 Feb. 2026
-
But those estimates assumed current policies would remain in place.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Moroney, who sang covers, grabbed her guitar and riled up the crowd.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The woman, who is listed as a current or former girlfriend of Fleming’s, first petitioned for a court order against him in January 2025, alleging that Fleming had grabbed her by her scarf and used it to choke her, and threatened her for spreading rumors about him.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Now, the Jacques Pepin Foundation has stepped in to save the year.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
19 Feb. 2026
-
So the City of Rancho Cordova stepped in to help by paying to replace it.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 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 23 Feb. 2026.
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