1
as in facing
to enter into contest or conflict with
will take on his chief opponent in the next political debate
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hiring
to provide with a paying job
decided to take her on as store manager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in borrowing
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
recently arrived immigrants who are eager to take on the language and culture of their adopted homeland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking on
Many prospective buyers are now wary of taking on a mortgage.
—
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
At the time, reports of harpy eagles taking on large primates were proliferating, but there were no formal observations of it occurring naturally in situ.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Last but certainly not least, Nate Diaz taking on Mike Perry.
—Lukas Weese, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Grab a handheld vacuum with a brush attachment (most models will feature one) to save yourself some sweat when taking on the task.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026
Piekarczyk noted that documentary filmmakers have faced backlash for taking on political subject matter.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 May 2026
One said she’s been considering taking on a second job for the better part of three years.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026
Giuliani was elected New York’s mayor in 1993 after serving as one of the nation’s highest-profile prosecutors, taking on mobsters and crooked Wall Street traders.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
The two candidates, who have been leading Republicans in previous polling, spend much of their political capital taking on one another in hopes of avoiding a runoff race.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
At the time, reports of harpy eagles taking on large primates were proliferating, but there were no formal observations of it occurring naturally in situ.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Last but certainly not least, Nate Diaz taking on Mike Perry.
—Lukas Weese, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Grab a handheld vacuum with a brush attachment (most models will feature one) to save yourself some sweat when taking on the task.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026
Piekarczyk noted that documentary filmmakers have faced backlash for taking on political subject matter.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 May 2026
One said she’s been considering taking on a second job for the better part of three years.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026
Giuliani was elected New York’s mayor in 1993 after serving as one of the nation’s highest-profile prosecutors, taking on mobsters and crooked Wall Street traders.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
The two candidates, who have been leading Republicans in previous polling, spend much of their political capital taking on one another in hopes of avoiding a runoff race.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on
Verb
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Brown is still building up his pitch count with his transition from the bullpen to the rotation, requiring high efficiency facing Major League Baseball’s best offense to give them that many outs.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
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Kubiak has experience going against the group in practices last season, but facing his former boss in Mike MacDonald will be a tall task.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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But in hiring the three-time Stanley Cup winner, the Ducks earned credibility in terms of coaching acumen and became an attraction for players.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Notably absent from the SEC’s motion to freeze Kapoor’s assets and its civil complaint was any mention of his hiring Suarez as a consultant for URBIN while the Location Ventures affiliate was seeking approval from City Hall for a residential and retail project at Commodore Plaza in Coconut Grove.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The risk is not borrowing costs but bad loans to zombie firms.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
That said, home equity loan interest rates are fixed and won't change even if the rate climate does, which could be favorable for those concerned about borrowing against their home equity (the home functions as collateral).—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Your connections are under a microscope, but clarity arrives around who’s meeting you halfway and who’s just enjoying access to you.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
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The interest rate climate is high and static right now, with another Federal Reserve meeting not even scheduled again until June.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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But most importantly of all, macOS users need to be aware of how the SHub Reaper threat actors are employing that infection chain by layering familiar brands across multiple stages of the same singular attack.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Cambodia’s garment industry, employing hundreds of thousands of workers, also rode the shift.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The Oliver Wyman survey results build on findings from a Harvard University study showing that firms adopting generative AI have significantly reduced junior-level positions, while keeping senior employment largely stable.—
Victor Swezey,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
First, consider adopting small gestures of gratitude.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Verb
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In the very rare instances of direct danger, like encountering a particularly nasty beast with huge scythe claws, getting hit only leads to the screen fading out and Yoshi reappearing at the start of the stage.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
19 May 2026
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Investigators also believe Brown assaulted a postal worker with a rock on Plasters Avenue before encountering Paige.—
CBS News Atlanta Staff,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The previous campaigns that targeted Florida and Texas had no visible effect on recruiting or free agency in either college or professional sports.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Concerns about longer-term career impacts are also to blame for trouble recruiting the next generation of researchers.—
Eric Welch,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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