taking on

present participle of take on
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of taking on There is less emphasis on taking on the creative burden himself. Cerys Jones, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Old school computer gamers will be intimately familiar with the dungeon crawler genre, popularized by games like Wizardry and Eye of the Beholder, which involves moving in first-person on a grid, taking on monsters, finding treasure and delving deeper into a labyrinth. Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026 Kudos to Scott Maxwell for taking on Orange County Major Jerry Demings over plans to yet again squander a small fortune of local tax dollars on boondoggle tourism projects. Mike Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026 The PayPal survey found that one in three Gen Z adults is taking on more work to afford their trips. Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 June 2026 On Sunday, there’s a World Cup debutant taking on a powerhouse, two dark horses meeting in Texas, and two matchups that have plenty of intrigue despite flying under the radar a little bit. Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 June 2026 With the recent expense of the new house, Alysha was worried about taking on another large financial commitment. Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 7 June 2026 McCaul also raised alarm about the timing of Pulte taking on the role, which comes just before America 250 celebrations and the 2026 World Cup games. Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026 At this point, is there anything Congress can do to stop him from taking on this role? CBS News, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking on
Verb
  • While portals offer a vital communication channel for patients facing long appointment wait times, the cognitive load on physicians is immense.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The Education Department’s civil rights office had long been the last resort for parents who believe their child is facing discrimination at school, with a mandate to review all complaints.
    Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Mizuho Americas analyst Dan Dolev told the Journal that the majority of these cuts probably trace to a post-pandemic hiring correction rather than AI itself.
    Cindy Rodriguez Constable, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • An American brand can open a local Hong Kong dollar account, a Vietnamese dong account, or a Portuguese euro account without ever setting up a foreign legal entity, leasing an office or hiring a single local employee.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • That limited graduate nursing students to borrowing $20,500 a year, while students in clinical psychology, optometry and podiatry, as well as medicine, dentistry and law, could borrow $50,000.
    Lisa Chambers, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • That includes sweeping hundreds of millions of dollars out of special taxing districts, borrowing to pay for legal settlements and retroactive pay bumps, and diverting pandemic relief money away from programs and toward payroll instead.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Their lives gradually shift after meeting No Yeong-ju, an optimistic singing instructor played by Im Ji-eun, whose positive outlook encourages both women to confront their past.
    Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The warning is the second issued by UCSB police since May, when an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a Sigma Pi fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • The case garnered national interest because Oregon's new law targets the loopholes large staffing firms have been employing to circumvent state corporate medicine laws.
    Alex Olgin, NPR, 3 July 2026
  • The metaphor of a ‘wall of separation’ At the same time, religious reformers were employing concepts of walls, hedges or other barriers to ensure that the secular and religious realms remained apart.
    Steven K. Green, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • While musicals, with their higher production costs and specific talent needs, still pursue long runs, plays are increasingly adopting this profitable, rapid turnover approach.
    Katie North, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • In a pricey travel year, travelers are adopting savvy strategies to enjoy high-end experiences with less financial regret.
    Kathryn Streeter, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Heaton recalled encountering a farmer in Uganda while volunteering there.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • Salonen found renewal not from the desperation of rethinking but from freshening, illuminating the perception of exceptional young musicians first encountering greatness.
    Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Some teachers received more than $4,000 in bonuses for recruiting students for trips.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 23 June 2026
  • Phase 3 Study 304 data in men is expected in the second half of 2026, and Phase 3 Study 306 in women is actively recruiting.
    Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2026

Cite this Entry

“Taking on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20on. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster