TOOK UP Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

took up

verb

past tense of take up

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drank

to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 up Sliman took up clay and hay mixtures used in village open-air ovens. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Here was an opportunity to be bold and imaginative but only a few clubs, such as Huddersfield Town (again, more on them later), took up the challenge. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 In June, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the first AI tax in history, the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which took up our AI equity tax framework. — Sarah Polcz, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 The faculty admissions board took up a formal review, and this past July, the Board of Regents moved to expedite a decision, which is expected by June 2027. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 DeSantis’ office drafted the proposal lawmakers took up during a special legislative session focused on the property tax proposal. — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026 Officials did not give a breakdown of how many were deported and how many took up offers of voluntary repatriation. — Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Chekhov took up position beside a section of the wall still standing, keeping well within its shadow. — Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 On June 9, 1846, American immigrants near Sonoma took up arms and captured a number of members of the Mexican military and their horses. — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 12 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took up

Verb

Wednesday’s topping-out ceremony, when a construction crew lifted the final structural beam into place, doesn’t change that.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
CrowdStrike's results lifted shares of fellow cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks, up more than 10% on Thursday.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of lifted

Verb

Europe ran the corresponding deficits, as many countries borrowed heavily abroad to rebuild economies devastated by war.

— MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
That strategy of producing scientific uncertainty delayed regulation for a generation, and the same playbook was later borrowed by other industries, including on climate change.

— Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of borrowed

Verb

Generally, the conferences covering the top teams in college sports have all adopted a similar stance in seeking to head off the NFL issue with the college football season set to begin with Week Zero games this weekend.

— Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
This time around, his administration has adopted burden shifting as a rallying cry and seems poised to act on it.

— JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of adopted

Verb

The color isn’t a precise measurement of toxicity, but a visual cue that glycoalkaloids may be elevated.

— Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
Fourteen years after geeking out over his MSG debut, Styles, now 32, commanded the storied building with new authority, electricity, and dazzling production value that elevated it above any of the six shows of his I’ve seen before.

— Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of elevated

Verb

Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges.

— Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
In Tibet, the roaring mudslide that struck Wednesday engulfed a multistory port building and swallowed a bus parking lot at the land border crossing of Gyirong Port.

— Niranjan Shrestha, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026