take advantage of

Idioms  

1. Put to good use; avail oneself of; also, profit selfishly by, exploit. For example, Let's take advantage of the good weather and go hiking, or They really take advantage of her good nature, getting her to do all the disagreeable chores. [Late 1300s]

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Example Sentences

The attacks forced international navies to instead tackle the Houthi threat, thus allowing armed groups on the Somali coast to take advantage of the security lapse.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Some lawyers, in fact, can and do take advantage of tort victims in order to line their own pockets.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

In New York City, tenants facing eviction have access to free legal representation, but many New Yorkers who qualify do not take advantage of it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Liberty Global, advised by Deloitte, planned a series of internal transactions involving a Belgian company that were choreographed to occur in December 2018 and take advantage of that opening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

As the day went on, their numbers were increased by more job seekers looking to take advantage of the opportunity to replace strikers.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Related Words

• exploit