undertake
verb
un·der·take
ˌən-dər-ˈtāk 
undertook
ˌən-dər-ˈtu̇k
; undertaken
ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kən
; undertaking
; undertaken
ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kən
; undertaking
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
—often followed by to + a verb He undertook to raise his sister's children.
archaic
: to give surety or assume responsibility
Examples of undertake in a Sentence
He's undertaking a thorough search.
The researchers undertook a series of studies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Every year, the BLS undertakes a process aimed at providing a near-complete employment count by squaring up the monthly survey estimates with data drawn from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program, which covers about 95% of US jobs.
—
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The new arrangement, which is being undertaken with tokenization firm Securitize, is a significant milestone for the DeFi sector, which many view as one of the most useful applications in crypto.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The Pentagon had undertaken extensive planning on the use of military technology near Fort Bliss, a military base that abuts the El Paso International Airport, to practice taking down drones.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Buddhist monks often undertake long walking pilgrimages that may last for months.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undertake
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.
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The new arrangement, which is being undertaken with tokenization firm Securitize, is a significant milestone for the DeFi sector, which many view as one of the most useful applications in crypto.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The Pentagon had undertaken extensive planning on the use of military technology near Fort Bliss, a military base that abuts the El Paso International Airport, to practice taking down drones.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Buddhist monks often undertake long walking pilgrimages that may last for months.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undertake
Cite this Entry
“Undertake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertake. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
undertake
verb
un·der·take
ˌən-dər-ˈtāk
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
