1
as in substituting
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in assuming
to take to or upon oneself
took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seizing
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
students protesting the war took over the college's radio station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking over
How to Stop Them Prevent grubs from taking over your yard this spring by adjusting your watering schedule.
—
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
When taking over Credit Suisse, UBS fully committed to getting the investigation back on track and has since taken extensive steps to facilitate Barofsky’s review, Karofsky said.
—Reuters, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Another wrinkle is that Harbaugh faces competition for his former Ravens staffers with Monken landing in Cleveland and Jesse Minter taking over in Baltimore.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Harbaugh, who also worked with Reid in Philadelphia, is taking over the Giants after 18 seasons as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Belichick also was one of the game's top defensive assistants before taking over in New England, winning two earlier Super Bowls as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
First, there’s La Réserve Firenze, which is taking over a 15th-century palace in the city’s ever-buzzy Oltrarno district, just a few minutes’ walk from the centre, but mercifully removed from the high summer tourist scrum.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Under the Netflix plan, the split would still happen within the next six to nine months, prior to Netflix taking over the studio and streaming side of the media giant.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Back in 1999, Edelman was on the cusp of taking over the PR firm founded by his father Daniel.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
When taking over Credit Suisse, UBS fully committed to getting the investigation back on track and has since taken extensive steps to facilitate Barofsky’s review, Karofsky said.
—Reuters, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Another wrinkle is that Harbaugh faces competition for his former Ravens staffers with Monken landing in Cleveland and Jesse Minter taking over in Baltimore.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Harbaugh, who also worked with Reid in Philadelphia, is taking over the Giants after 18 seasons as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Belichick also was one of the game's top defensive assistants before taking over in New England, winning two earlier Super Bowls as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
First, there’s La Réserve Firenze, which is taking over a 15th-century palace in the city’s ever-buzzy Oltrarno district, just a few minutes’ walk from the centre, but mercifully removed from the high summer tourist scrum.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Under the Netflix plan, the split would still happen within the next six to nine months, prior to Netflix taking over the studio and streaming side of the media giant.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Back in 1999, Edelman was on the cusp of taking over the PR firm founded by his father Daniel.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking over
Verb
-
Critics such as economist Jeffrey Sachs have warned that the NSS is grounded in grandiosity and Machiavellianism, substituting coercion for cooperation and dominance for legitimacy.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Williams was the only starter to play more than 25 minutes as the Aztecs began substituting liberally after just 11 minutes, jumping out to a 32-12 lead thanks to an 18-0 run.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Johnson cannot afford to lose more than one Republican, assuming all members are present and Democrats are united against the measure being voted on that would set the rules for debating a bill to boost domestic production of critical minerals.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The instinct was to start with the largest model possible, assuming that adaptation would naturally improve performance.—
Abhas Ricky,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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China is seizing an opportunity to challenge American dominance in global finance and exert greater international influence at the expense of the all-powerful US dollar.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Allegations include entering homes without warrants, stopping, intimidating and seizing legal observers, and detaining suspects by virtue of their appearance or accent.—
Yohuru Williams,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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John Voorhies, a Tucsonian of sixty-two years, was standing in front of Guthrie’s home, watching the activity.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Young Rod went off to France by himself, and on a visit to Chartres, standing in the nave of the cathedral, he was overcome by a vague but powerful sense that God was real.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some proponents argue that if those interest rates were capped, banks could simply absorb those losses by accepting lower profits or slashing their marketing budgets.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Laos only started accepting deportees from the United States in 2025.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Korean researchers have demonstrated a new method for producing jet fuel by converting landfill gas originating from food waste and manure into liquid fuel.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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The princess took advantage of the spacious Kensington Palace home, converting its top floor into a playground for her two young sons.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Abdullah had been filling in for another doctor that day.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
This is Andrea Riquier filling in on The Daily Money.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bublak says that the decision leaves cities shouldering more responsibility with fewer tools.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
America’s allies in Europe – wary of further Russian aggression, shouldering the burden of backing Ukraine and facing an increasingly hostile world order – have come to the same realization.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20over. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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