take time

idiom

1
: to need or require time to happen or be done
You have to be patient. Things like this take time.
It may take some time for the medication to wear off.
The meeting won't take too much time.
This job is easy and will take no time at all.
2
or take the time : to use an amount of time in order to do something important
They never took the time to get to know her.
I took some time to think about it, and my answer is still "no."

Examples of take time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But such efforts, even if all the necessary parties agreed to them, would take time. Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2024 Convincing her to leave Watts would take time, but that visit was the first step. Cindy Chang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 While the nation of Benin has recently offered to contribute 2,000 additional forces, the vetting process for them will also take time. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Instead, take time to explore what life looks like on the other side of this change. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024 Learning to optimize growth of a new virus can take time. Damian Garde, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024 But not many people take time to explore Redding’s downtown core. Janet Fullwood, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2024 Making massive shifts in the business can take time to spool up new sales and, in turn, crunch liquidity. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 To make people feel appreciated, to take time away from technology, and to sit down with only your stationery and thoughts is hardly to be considered a chore. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Cite this Entry

“Take time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20time. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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