takeover

1 of 2

noun

take·​over ˈtāk-ˌō-vər How to pronounce takeover (audio)
Synonyms of takeovernext
: the action or an act of taking over

take over

2 of 2

verb

took over; taken over; taking over; takes over

transitive verb

: to assume control or possession of or responsibility for
military leaders took over the government

intransitive verb

1
: to assume control or possession
2
: to become dominant

Examples of takeover in a Sentence

Noun The government experienced a military takeover in 2002. the new government's high-handed takeover of private industries Verb I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break. took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
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.
Noun
Advertisement But the song—and the stagecraft—also served to call attention to Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts, which worsened following the private takeover of the island’s grid. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 9 Feb. 2026 The takeover of the arts is less violent and a bit more insidious, but just as dangerous in its own right. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bueno started her performing arts company, Playground Players Productions, in 2016 and took over Edudance Classrooms in Motion, a children’s ballroom dance company, in 2018. Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 OpenAI, which was most recently valued at $500 billion and is now looking to boost that number, faces intense competition in the generative AI market, particularly from Google and Anthropic, whose AI models are being used by enterprises to take over more business tasks. Ashley Capoot,ari Levy, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for takeover

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1910, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1618, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of takeover was in 1618

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Takeover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/takeover. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

take over

verb
(ˈ)tā-ˈkō-vər
: to get control or possession of or responsibility for something
takeover
ˈtā-ˌkō-vər
noun

Legal Definition

takeover

noun
take·​over ˈtāk-ˌō-vər How to pronounce takeover (audio)
: the acquisition of control or possession (as of a corporation)
a hostile takeover

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