took over

verb

past tense of take over
1
as in substituted
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

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2
as in accepted
to take to or upon oneself took over the responsibility of caring for the animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seized
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

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 took over Che cited an Associated Press report that Paxton, the Texas attorney general since 2015, took over 275 out-of-state trips while in office. — William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026 Strada took over the Department of Correction in January 2023 after serving as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation & Reentry. — Ed White, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 His passing yardage was his lowest since the week Jennings took over as the starter early in the 2024 season. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 The Tigers slowly took over after the first quarter, limiting the Bulldogs to a field goal until the fourth quarter. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026 Strong took over the role of Zuckerberg from Jesse Eisenberg, who played the billionaire in the 2010 Oscar-winning film The Social Network. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026 When Deablo missed two weeks in training camp because of an ankle injury, rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels took over green dot responsibilities. — AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026 In a 2021 flight, a HAWC vehicle was released from an aircraft, its booster accelerated it, and a scramjet then took over and drove it beyond Mach 5. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026 Glenn also took over defensive play-calling after firing Steve Wilks, who orchestrated one of the NFL’s worst units. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took over
  1. substituted
  2. accepted
  3. seized
  4. stood in
  5. assumed
  6. grabbed
  7. stepped in
  8. shouldered
Verb
  • So might be Haaland, who asked to be substituted midway through the second half of Norway's final Nations League game, but that might have been because of fatigue.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Ronaldo started that game but was substituted in the 67th minute.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of substituted
Verb
  • An argument made a fortiori gives an even more convincing reason than one that has already been accepted.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Cathcarts also receive the news that Flora accepted the money with relief.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of accepted
Verb
  • Meanwhile in 2023, the company seized the opportunity to launch on TikTok Shop with select brands shortly after the platform’s Stateside debut, and has since continued to innovate there through live-selling and cutting-edge creator partnerships.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The filing cites items that were seized from her home in a federal investigation with no assurance that they will be returned, as well as unauthorized people who gained access to her Los Angeles residence.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of seized
Verb
  • On Tuesday, after returning from meetings in the United Arab Emirates, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in front of an F-15 fighter jet and made a video warning that there might soon be an attack against Israel.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This week, the department was told money allocated years ago for renovations at Kadema Hall — named after a Native American village that once stood in its place — was being pulled.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stood in
Verb
  • Following his passing in 2021, his son, Adam Stewart, assumed the role of Executive Chairman, continuing the family legacy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The lifting was assumed, God was the obvious entity being addressed, but what mattered most was the us, us, us.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of assumed
Verb
  • The store owner grabbed a gun and fired, sending the group fleeing empty-handed, according to FOX13 Seattle.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Protesters grabbed metal barriers blocking off the street and charged a row of cops before the officers were able to pull the barriers away from them.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Verb
  • His oldest sister stepped in, made his meals and went to school and doctor appointments with him.
    — Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Huskers were down 23-14 midway through the second quarter when McDougle stepped in front of Washington’s pass intended for Kaleb Webb and ran it back all the way for Nebraska’s longest pick-6 since 2007.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of stepped in
Verb
  • Musically schooled in Vienna, Higginson hired the players, chose the conductors, and shouldered the deficits.
    — Joseph Horowitz, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Few of these sit-downs play out with meaningful differences until late into the runtime, during which Faria is shouldered with dramatic heavy lifting that doesn’t quite gel with her approach.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of shouldered

Browse Nearby Words

took out
took over
took ship
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Cite this Entry

“Took over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20over. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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