undertake
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
She undertook the job of answering all the mail.
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to promise, agree, or obligate oneself (followed by an infinitive).
The married couple undertook to love, honor, and cherish each other.
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to warrant or guarantee (followed by a clause).
The sponsors undertake that their candidate meets all the requirements.
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to take in charge; assume the duty of attending to.
The lawyer undertook a new case.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to contract to or commit oneself to (something) or (to do something)
to undertake a job
to undertake to deliver the goods
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(tr) to attempt to; agree to start
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(tr) to take (someone) in charge
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archaic to make oneself responsible (for)
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(tr) to promise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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undertakesimple
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undertakessimple
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have undertakenperfect
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has undertakenperfect
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am undertakingprogressive
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are undertakingprogressive
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is undertakingprogressive
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have been undertakingperfect progressive
-
has been undertakingperfect progressive
Past
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undertooksimple
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had undertakenperfect
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was undertakingprogressive
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were undertakingprogressive
-
had been undertakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undertake
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English undertaken; see under-, take
Explanation
When you undertake a task or challenge, you attempt to accomplish it. If you want to undertake a verbal challenge right now, try saying “sushi chef” ten times quickly without messing up. Way back in the 13th century, undertake meant “seize” or “entrap.” Of course, the meaning has shifted significantly since then, and we hope you don’t feel entrapped when you decide to undertake a project. However, undertake does convey a level of commitment and involvement that’s somewhat stronger than the words try or attempt might suggest.
Vocabulary lists containing undertake
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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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.
See Examples For:
Moreover, North Korea doesn’t have the massive satellite networks that allow countries like the U.S. and Russia to undertake advanced reconnaissance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Prosecutors say the NPP politician had allowed two individuals, Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi, to undertake mining activities on the Akonta Mining's concession without approval from the minister of lands and natural resources.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
You can undertake a 351 exchange only at the inception of a fund, not after it is launched.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Some delays were due to shifts under the 2020 legislation that the FAA had to undertake for the first time, said Boeing Senior Vice President Mike Sinnett.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
There might perhaps have been a time to undertake excavations that might have comprehensively settled our outstanding questions about the topography of old Alexandria.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Point 11 of the MoU detailed that the "United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
When the next president swears an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” he undertakes both to obey the Constitution and to remove threats to it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Every night, he reads murder mysteries to them, a ritual he undertakes primarily for his own pleasure.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
Then last week, the DOJ said it was closing the investigation as the Fed’s inspector general undertakes an inquiry into the renovations — though the Justice Department left open the possibility of restarting its probe.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
If Miss Taylor undertakes to wrap Miss Emma up, you need not have any fears, sir.’
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
By the time he undertook the large version, however, considerable time had passed, Trumbull was growing old, his vitality and talent in decline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Simón, who undertook a similar odyssey at the same age, never allows this delicate story to succumb to self-indulgence or an inflated sense of its own importance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
He was arrested at his home the following day, and officers undertook a search of the property.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The LTA says it undertook a "comprehensive review" of its rating and ranking system in 2018 "specifically to address the issue of putting too much pressure on children at too young an age."
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
And she undertook a thorough review of the sehottische, making sure to confine the dancing to the nursery this time.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
Shein has also recently undertaken a push to diversify its supply chain to countries including Brazil and Turkey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Multiple noise mitigation efforts were undertaken — sound walls, scream shields and even pea gravel in the coaster’s tracks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Prof Christl Donnelly and Dr Maria Christodoulou of Oxford University said "further independent, randomised, and adequately controlled research" would need to be undertaken before any stronger conclusions could be drawn about Oxevision.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Sullivan & Cromwell’s decision to represent President Trump was undertaken following thorough discussion with our firm’s nearly 200 partners, and deliberation at our Managing Partners Committee and Management Committee,” a firm spokesman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
It is a noble outlook on life, especially if undertaken without the expectation of a return, investment or otherwise.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
The only comparable alternative would involve sending spacecraft directly to another star, an undertaking that would require enormous amounts of time and money.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Shopping for a home loan on top of the strenuous process of shopping for the house itself might sound exhausting — but buyers who skip this undertaking often end up considerably overpaying for their mortgage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Northern Ireland Survivor Council had expressed "serious concern" about Gamble's involvement because his company is also undertaking a review into the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
It should have been a relatively straightforward undertaking to navigate from the area where Goforth was riding to the spot where the vehicle was parked, especially for someone familiar with the area, Buelna added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Would I, in whatever endeavors I ended up undertaking in America, succeed, and would I do so nobly?
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
