TAKES UP Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

takes up

verb

present tense third-person singular of take up

as in lifts

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drinks

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 borrows

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 takes up Eliminating a monthly car payment that takes up hundreds of dollars in the budget could provide more breathing room than paying extra toward a low-rate mortgage with years remaining. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Its native 144Hz refresh rate, Game Mode Plus, and VRR support are pretty exciting if gaming takes up a good chunk of your weekends. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 The lower box, which takes up most of the carton's side, has an 89-word message that makes the case that most people want their governments to take climate action and that doing so could lead to political wins. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 All this heat has huge ripple effects, driving marine heat waves, fueling stronger and more destructive storms, damaging marine life and increasing sea level rise, both by melting ice and because warmer water takes up more space. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 The treadmill relaunch, Peloton said, is also addressing the company's long-standing challenge getting consumers to buy high-cost equipment that takes up a lot of space. — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026 The glass-door entrance opens onto a great room that takes up most of the available space. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 Vedder was revising lyrics, and also trying to get the vocal takes up to his standards, which were already quite high. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 As the oceans absorb much of this excess heat, warmer seawater expands and takes up more space, while melting glaciers and ice sheets add even more water. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for takes up

Verb

Accessibility Very good—two street-level entrances have ramps in place and are wheelchair-accessible, and lifts access all floors of the hotel.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
When the dealer lifts the top card slightly to check for a blackjack, a partner with good eyesight can catch a glimpse and signal to the player.

— Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of lifts

Verb

The impression is of a raucous house party—one in which secrets are spilled, kisses are stolen, and everyone drinks far too much.

— Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Current law says that if an accuser knowingly and willingly drinks too much, there is no crime for someone else to take advantage of the accuser’s incapacitation.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of drinks

Verb

The rooms With just 101 rooms and suites, The Beaumont Mayfair borrows its visual language from the grand European hotels of the 1920s.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Under this strategy, a person borrows a set amount from his or her 401(k) account and slowly replenishes the account over time through payments deducted automatically from pay stubs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrows

Verb

The organization, created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, receives no government funding, and raises money through private donations and sales of retail merchandise.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
The necropsy indicating chronic gastrointestinal disease in two of the dead belugas certainly raises questions about their condition before transport.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of raises

Verb

Instead of entering the bloodstream through a shot, the peptide absorbs across the tissue lining the mouth.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
The work focuses on a loss mechanism known as Boltzmann loss, which occurs because a material that absorbs light can also emit it.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of absorbs

Verb

Before the city or state adopts or regulates an AI tool that touches housing, jobs, benefits or immigration, the people affected should be asked first.

— Steven Choi, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
By law, Maryland regularly adopts the international standard for that very reason.

— Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of adopts

Verb

The spa Clayoquot’s Healing Grounds Spa fully embraces the healing powers of nature, capitalizing on its secluded setting along the banks of the Bedwell River.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
While field recording is typically a solitary activity, Jensen embraces the alone-together paradox of building a community around a bunch of people wearing headphones.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of embraces

Verb

My first game starts early in the day as Alabama takes on Mississippi State.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Clarks x Damson Madder Damson Madder x Clarks Originals collection, which launched Thursday, features two fresh takes on Clarks archive styles.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026