take it out on
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Across the world, the rising cost of living will likely translate into frustrated voters looking to take it out on incumbent parties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
He understands why people are upset, but says it is not fair to take it out on his staff.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
“If voters had intended to take it out on the party as a whole, the results would have looked quite different.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2025
“We all have bad days and stress, and it was wrong for me to take it out on an officer who’s simply doing his job,” she said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
But when she got worked up about something, she tended to take it out on the rugs, floors, and furniture, and any dirt that might be harbored therein.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
