take the floor

idiomatic phrase

1

: to rise (as in a meeting or a legislative assembly) to begin speaking to a group

With Lott and Gramm staring at him as he took the floor during debate, McCain called the bill "seriously skewed," but said he would vote for it.

—Newsweek

At precisely 6:45 a.m. the rowdiness ceases as Sailor, a union safety expert, takes the floor for his weekly lecture.

—Jack Friedman

2

: to go out onto a dance floor to begin dancing

Several couples took the floor.

… the younger people took the floor, and all the elders sneaked back to their chairs …

—Sinclair Lewis

3

: to go out onto a basketball court to begin playing

Phillips hopes the scouts notice his quickness, his vision, … the way he changes the flow of a game as soon as he takes the floor.

—John Gustafson

Examples of take the floor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The primary pieces of the roster haven’t played many minutes, but when those top players have taken the floor, it’s been remarkable. —Nick Crain, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024

The tension was thick inside the packed arena as Biles took the floor for her final performance of these Olympics. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024

Once again Biles’ availability was the primary focus when the eight teams took the floor Tuesday night. —Scott M. Reid, Orange County Register, 30 July 2024

Clark takes the floor today at the WNBA All-Star game that pits the league stars against Team USA, the women’s basketball team for the upcoming Paris Olympics. —Bruce Haring, Deadline, 20 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1