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.

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

From Slate • Feb. 25, 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

She also adapted a playful tone to take issue with another Trump assertion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2025

Few would also take issue with City's decision to sell Raheem Sterling to Chelsea, along with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal, the latter leaving after Haaland's arrival.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2024

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