1
as in lifted
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in borrowed
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
one cluster of fans started chanting the team name of the champions, and the crowd quickly took up the cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of took up
To the stranger who was Jesse Jackson To the political class that took up most of his time, Dad was a stranger awaiting a return phone call, reminding the political class of the urgency of the hour.
—
Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
The girls started coming when the Neelemans took up farming in 2017.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
The dogs took up the scent at once.
—Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Martinez’s attorneys took up the battle to get evidence released in early January following the killing of Renee Good by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis under circumstances eerily similar to Martinez’s shooting.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
But FOToS took up the most oxygen last year; its author, a two-time winner here, certainly will earn his third.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Additionally, the lawsuit claims oil companies began in the 1980s to halt their research on advanced battery chemistries and hybrid electric motors, withheld market-ready hybrid engine prototypes and took up patent litigation to stifle innovators.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The 49ers took up residence in Santa Clara in 1988 after moving from Redwood City, with Levi’s Stadium to follow on site in 2014.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
The band Buffalo Springfield took up residence in the 1960s, and Neil Young returned to the site in the 1970s with his band Crazy Horse, according to reporting from SF Gate.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
The girls started coming when the Neelemans took up farming in 2017.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
The dogs took up the scent at once.
—Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Martinez’s attorneys took up the battle to get evidence released in early January following the killing of Renee Good by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis under circumstances eerily similar to Martinez’s shooting.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
But FOToS took up the most oxygen last year; its author, a two-time winner here, certainly will earn his third.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Additionally, the lawsuit claims oil companies began in the 1980s to halt their research on advanced battery chemistries and hybrid electric motors, withheld market-ready hybrid engine prototypes and took up patent litigation to stifle innovators.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The 49ers took up residence in Santa Clara in 1988 after moving from Redwood City, with Levi’s Stadium to follow on site in 2014.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
The band Buffalo Springfield took up residence in the 1960s, and Neil Young returned to the site in the 1970s with his band Crazy Horse, according to reporting from SF Gate.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took up
Verb
-
Laying on his side in the crease, the goalie lifted his left pad to stop Dahlin's shot from the slot.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Tatum played the entire fourth quarter for the second straight game, his minutes limit seemingly lifted.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Briany drank 5 ounces at each feeding.—
Jeff Ernsthausen,
ProPublica,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Writings by Kouri Richins found in the family home indicate the couple drank a Moscow Mule cocktail and a lemon drop shot.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Daily payments for emergency help Three months earlier, in October, Jane had borrowed $50,000 through what's called a merchant cash advance, or MCA.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Samples borrowed from German composer Max Richter.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The trip raised hopes among some members on the WhatsApp chain that expressions of empathy toward Palestinians will become more common at Beth El, both from the bimah and in synagogue-wide communications.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Together, the reports signal a possible escalation in the Iran -war — the fallout of which has already rattled markets and raised fears of broader supply chain disruptions and higher global prices.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Maintenance crews carve up the streets while pedestrians squeeze by, each person absorbed in their own agendas.—
Françoise Mouly,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Add American cheese, remaining 1 cup cheddar, and reserved soaking water; stir vigorously until most of the cheese is melted (some small lumps of cheese will remain and that is OK) and water is absorbed.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The 14th Amendment − one of a trio of constitutional amendments adopted after the Civil War − overrode the Supreme Court’s infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that African Americans could not be citizens.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The directness with which the camera meets the eyes of the film’s subjects suggests compassion for their disfigurement and isolation (indeed, Farrokhzad adopted a boy from the colony), but there are no interviews.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Andrea Riquier Oil prices popped back above $100 March 24, keeping gas prices elevated on doubts the détente in the Middle East will hold.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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Dinner in Carrick goes elevated at The Oarsman, a modern Irish standout, or cozier at The Red Bank, where local produce meets a candlelit garden setting.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Aden alone, the count is in the hundreds — most of them swallowed by a secret prison network managed by the UAE and its affiliated forces, where torture, beatings and abuse were common, according to the Yemeni government, human rights organizations and the United Nations.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Another recall targeted Sunnyyes LED mini lights, which were sold on Amazon between March 2024 and March 2026, and contain coin batteries that can be easily accessed and then potentially swallowed.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Took up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20up. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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