take root

1. Become established or fixed, as in We're not sure how the movement took root, but it did so very rapidly. This idiom transfers the establishment of a plant, whose roots settle into the earth, to other matters. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Within two weeks, the new stem cells had taken root in the patients' bone marrow.

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And when Roz studied the ground, she spotted tiny green sprouts trying to take root.

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The concept of journalistic objectivity took root in the 20th century.

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Instead, hockey took root as Canada’s favorite sport in the early 20th century.

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That’s a clear sign that “consumption downgrade”—a viral term in Chinese social media referring to buyers searching for more bang for their buck and opting for cheaper alternatives—is taking root.

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Related Words

• burgeon 
• germinate 
• grow