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
NewsweekAt precisely 6:45 a.m. the rowdiness ceases as Sailor, a union safety expert, takes the floor for his weekly lecture.—Jack Friedman
Jack Friedman2
: 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
Sinclair Lewis3
: 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
John GustafsonExamples of take the floor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mixed Pro Doubles Recap With both members of the No. 1 Mixed team opting out of Singles, Anna Leigh Waters & Ben Johns both took the floor for the first time this weekend in the Mixed draw.
—Todd Boss, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025
Director Dan Brothers also took the floor to review formatting, logistics and rules of what to expect, before coaches gathered for a quick meeting and players were made available to speak to the media.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2024
The team eventually scratched Khris Middleton following his pregame workout, but the rest of the team — outside of AJ Green, who missed his second straight game with a left quad strain — took the floor at 7:30 p.m. and tried to beat the Heat.
—Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
As the gavel came down, India’s lead negotiator, Neelesh Shah, leapt to his feet to ask to take the floor, and when he was ignored made a furious timeout gesture above his head and led his team on to the stage in protest.
—Ars Technica, 25 Nov. 2024
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Todd Boss, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025
Director Dan Brothers also took the floor to review formatting, logistics and rules of what to expect, before coaches gathered for a quick meeting and players were made available to speak to the media.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2024
The team eventually scratched Khris Middleton following his pregame workout, but the rest of the team — outside of AJ Green, who missed his second straight game with a left quad strain — took the floor at 7:30 p.m. and tried to beat the Heat.
—Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
As the gavel came down, India’s lead negotiator, Neelesh Shah, leapt to his feet to ask to take the floor, and when he was ignored made a furious timeout gesture above his head and led his team on to the stage in protest.
—Ars Technica, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take the floor
Dictionary Entries Near take the floor
Cite this Entry
“Take the floor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20floor. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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