take after

verb

took after; taken after; taking after; takes after

transitive verb

: to resemble (someone) in features, build, character, or disposition
a daughter who takes after her mother
"That's Tulliver's son," said the publican to a grocer standing on the adjacent door-step. "Ah!" said the grocer, "I thought I knew his features. He takes after his mother's family."George Eliot
"His father was lazy but his mother hasn't a lazy bone in her body, and Peter takes after her."Lucy Maud Montgomery

Examples of take after in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Photo taken after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's two-day campaign of strikes against Iran on June 15. Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025 Meanwhile, Cruz takes after his mother, Victoria — focusing on music and modeling. 17 of 18 Jason and John Ritter Jason Ritter looks so much like his late father, beloved Three Is Company actor, John, even he can be surprised by it. Lydia Price, People.com, 11 June 2025 In steering Paramount, Redstone has taken after her father in some hands-on respects, publicly backing CBS anchor Tony Dokupil’s interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates, which a number of staffers felt was unduly harsh on the author during a discussion of his visit to Palestine. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 5 June 2025 After the men left in the pickup truck, the victim took after them in his own vehicle. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for take after

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take after was in 1627

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Cite this Entry

“Take after.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20after. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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