take issue with

Idioms

Disagree with, as in I take issue with those figures; they don't include last month's sales. This idiom comes from legal terminology, where it was originally put as to join issue, meaning “take the opposite side of a case.” [Late 1600s]

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.

Some take issue with this rule because, as in those two cases, it can inadvertently disadvantage defenders who know there is an opponent close by, but do not know they are offside.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Even the world’s biggest Pete Hegseth fan might take issue with his successors inheriting that capability.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026

“The Moment” doesn’t quite lampoon Swift’s massively successful tour or its ensuing media, but it does take issue with the Eras Tour’s tame spectacle.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

Corporate leaders have called Kushner to take issue with some of his father-in-law’s policies, including the impact tariffs could have on global trade, according to people familiar with the conversations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 11, 2025

And who could take issue with us if we were genuinely looking out for kids?

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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