take on

verb

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took on; taken on; taking on; takes on

Definition of take on

transitive verb

1a : to begin to perform or deal with : undertake took on new responsibilities

b : to contend with as an opponent took on the neighborhood bully

2 : engage, hire

3a : to assume or acquire as or as if one's own the city's plaza takes on a carnival air— W. T. LeViness

b : to have as a mathematical domain or range what values does the function take on

intransitive verb

: to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way she cried, and took on like a distracted body— Daniel Defoe

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about take on

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Examples of take on in a Sentence

will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate decided to take her on as store manager

Recent Examples on the Web Griffen is a savvy veteran who understands how to read and destruct blocking schemes, putting himself in good position to take on blocks and set a strong edge or defeat blocks to penetrate and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. — John Owning, Dallas News, "Jadeveon Clowney isn’t the free agent DE who Cowboys fans should be clamoring for," 3 July 2020 What would motivate someone with zero experience in card playing or gambling to drop everything else in her life to take on such a quixotic pursuit? — Wray Herbert, Washington Post, "A psychologist finds herself at the poker table," 3 July 2020 As women take on multiple roles at home and work, not setting boundaries can often result in chronic stress, according to Dr. Saltz. — Taylyn Washington-harmon, Health.com, "How to Relieve Stress, According to Experts," 1 July 2020 The sports and pop culture site, founded by the outspoken David Portnoy, plans to launch a sports betting app later this year to take on DraftKings. — Paul R. La Monica, CNN, "Barstool Sports backer gets ready to take on DraftKings," 1 July 2020 John Hickenlooper and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff as the Democratic nominee to take on Sen. Cory Gardner, one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for election this year with control of the Senate at stake. — Nicholas Riccardi And Patty Nieberg, USA TODAY, "Colorado voters decide Sen. Gardner's challenger in primary," 30 June 2020 Avocado and Shrimp Sushi Forget the takeout—try this homemade take on a California roll instead. — Taylor Eisenhauer, Southern Living, "Sushi vs Sashimi: What's the Difference?," 30 June 2020 The organization has made school choice a priority, and has tried for years to get the Supreme Court to take on state constitutional amendments forbidding public aid to religious schools. — Robert Barnes, BostonGlobe.com, "Supreme Court says Montana program aiding private schools must be open to religious schools," 30 June 2020 There are former college players, international players and NBA players, although many NBA players take on the role of coach or GM instead. — Giana Han, al, "TBT Team War Tampa represents Auburn in first basketball since March," 30 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'take on.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.