undertake

verb

un·​der·​take ˌən-dər-ˈtāk 

undertook ˌən-dər-ˈtu̇k  ; undertaken ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kən  ; undertaking

transitive verb

1

: to take upon oneself : set about : attempt

undertake a task

undertake to learn to swim

2

: to put oneself under obligation to perform

also : to accept as a charge or responsibility

the lawyer who undertook the case

3

: guarantee, promise

readily undertook that the letter should be securely conveyed

—Sir Walter Scott

intransitive verb

archaic : to give surety or assume responsibility

Synonyms

• accept
• assume
• bear
• shoulder
• take over

Examples of undertake in a Sentence

He's undertaking a thorough search.

The researchers undertook a series of studies.

Recent Examples on the Web

The air force did not provide any further details about the location of the incident or the mission that the pilot was undertaking. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

In 1644, the Massapequa Massacre was undertaken by Governor Willem Kieft, who hired 25,000 guilders to kill and drive Native Americans from the area where the town now stands. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 26 Apr. 2025

The project is in the early stages of development and is being undertaken in cooperation with The Bahamas. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025

The chief Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, and the defense secretary's wife, Jennifer Hegseth, also a former Fox producer, expressed their approval for the upgrade before it was undertaken, one of the sources said. —Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for undertake

• overtake
• rattlesnake
• shiitake
• wapentake
• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake

Kids Definition

undertake

verb

un·​der·​take ˌən-dər-ˈtāk 

undertook -ˈtu̇k  ; undertaken -ˈtā-kən  ; undertaking

1

: to take upon oneself as a task : enter upon

undertake a journey

2

: to take on as a duty : agree, contract

undertake to deliver a package