TAKE UP Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

take up

verb

Definition of take up

as in to lift

to move from a lower to a higher place or position please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to drink

to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to borrow

to take for one's own use (something originated by another) one cluster of fans started chanting the team name of the champions, and the crowd quickly took up the cry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 take up The country's 2027-2029 state budget, which will be taken up Thursday in the rubber-stamp parliament, is accompanied by a string of tax hikes announced after the September parliamentary elections. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 The Fish Man is one of the best examples of restaurants taken up by the sons and daughter of immigrants, Lee told me. — Christopher Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2026 All of that work will take up to 17 days from first liftoff to splashdown. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 28 Oct. 2026 Now it’s solved the problem in every dimension, proving that there’s a limit to how small a space a high-dimensional stylus can take up. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for take up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for take up

Verb

Chen stepped up and recorded two consecutive kills to lift the Panthers to a three-point win in the final set.

— Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
At the same time, other parts of the economy are already being hit by higher rates, which were lifted by market forces, even before the Fed hiked last month.

— Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of lift

Verb

Food and drink The restaurant and bars (there are two) are the main draws here and will no doubt draw locals like me in addition to out-of-towners.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
There’s no shortage of detailed guides telling visitors to Paris where exactly to eat and drink.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of drink

Verb

One option would be to grow tissue grafts with the mesh inside and then transplant them, but a more interesting possibility would be to borrow an idea from Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company Neuralink.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
That said, companies can borrow from its system lens to take as broad a view of nature and climate as possible.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrow

Verb

In 2022, the central bank raised rates by three-quarters of a point six days before the midterm elections, part of its fight against the worst inflation in four decades.

— Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
And the evidence uncovered by Chair Loudermilk raises serious questions about Speaker Pelosi's role in those decisions.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

The health risks posed by lead depend on factors such as a person's age, how the lead is absorbed and how long a person is exposed.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Light energy enters through a primary, high-energy pathway where sunlight is strongly absorbed.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of absorb

Verb

The lawsuit argues the change violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it was adopted without explanation and the First Amendment, which protects lawyers' ability to advise people of their legal rights and seek prospective clients.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
Lectra said fashion companies adopting AI-native processes during early creation already see measurable strategic advantages throughout the product lifecycle.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of adopt

Verb

Shop Mack Weldon's wool crew neck sweaters and Buck Mason's corduroy jackets for the fashion-forward guy, plus Vuori sweatpants to elevate his loungewear drawer.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Is McGraw destined to become the next Jesse Davis, or Nik Needham, the last two Dolphins players elevated from the practice squad to became multiseason starters for the franchise?

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevate

Verb

Progressives like Melat Kiros have signaled their votes for Jeffries might be up for grabs unless their leadership embraces more left-leaning policies, but most Democrats are skeptical about major defections.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Serbs across the country embraced the Student List, who are viewed as fresh faces in politics and are not tied to Serbia’s traditional political opposition, which is perceived as ineffective and corrupt by a lot of the voters.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026