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Synonyms

on the take

Idioms  

  1. Accepting bribes or other illegal income, as in The commission found a number of police officers on the take. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Former Peruvian presidents Alejandro Toledo and Ollanta Humala are serving lengthy sentences in their country after being convicted of being on the take from Odebrecht.

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

But his attorneys vehemently denied the charges and said the government failed to prove the veteran DEA agent was on the take.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024

Drawn to the platter of homemade cookies, I was shy on the take once I knew they were lemon, scared of the sharp sourness that might be lurking within.

From Salon • Nov. 12, 2022

A Border Patrol agent who was on the take, waving illegal immigrants through his Texas highway checkpoint station in exchange for cash payments, was slapped with a 21-month prison sentence Tuesday.

From Washington Times • May 24, 2022

Some guards were honest; others, clearly on the take.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.