take on

British  

verb

1. to employ or hire

   to take on new workmen

2. to assume or acquire

   his voice took on a plaintive note

3. to agree to do; undertake

   I'll take on that job for you

4. to compete against, oppose, or fight

   I will take him on at tennis

   I'll take him on any time

5. informal (intr) to exhibit great emotion, esp grief

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take on Idioms  

1. Undertake or begin to deal with, as in I took on new responsibilities , or She took on too much when she accepted both assignments . [Early 1300s]

2. Hire, engage, as in We take on extra workers during the busy season . [Early 1600s]

3. Oppose in competition, as in This young wrestler was willing to take on all comers . [Late 1800s]

4. Display strong emotion, as in Don't take on so . [ Colloquial ; early 1400s]

5. Acquire as, or as if, one's own, as in He took on the look of a prosperous banker . [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

take on

Hassabis will take on two new titles, Alphabet announced on Wednesday: chair of DeepMind and chief scientist of Alphabet.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

And in Kansas, Adam Hamilton, a pastor who talks about bipartisanship, will take on Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in November.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

The trade-offs for many parents are to either continue to work and pay — sometimes thousands of dollars a month — for childcare, or leave the workforce to take on caregiving responsibilities.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Saudi Arabia’s PIF now controls most of the company, and EA agreed to take on roughly $20 billion in debt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

But without, he wasn’t that much of a fool, to think he could take on the Prince of Demons.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny