take the field

Idioms  

1. Enter a competition, as in The country's best spellers took the field in the national spelling bee. This term originated around 1600 when it meant “to open a military campaign.” The field here is the field of battle. The term has been used figuratively almost as long, the first recorded use being in 1614.

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Example Sentences

When Ohio State took the field against Miami here for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, it was expected to mark the start of another imperious march toward the title game.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Thursday, the No. 1 Hoosiers will take the field at the Rose Bowl, where they will face college football traditional power Alabama in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

From Los Angeles Times

Former England captain David Gower paid tribute, saying Bird would be "remembered as one of the best umpires ever to take the field".

From BBC

The next time the Proteas take the field in whites on home soil will be October 2026, 21 months after hosting Pakistan in January this year.

From BBC

Players who once languished at the end of the bench for Georgia or Ohio State now leap to programs where they can actually take the field.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• attack
• battle
• challenge
• clash
• meet
• protect
• resist