take the load off

Idioms

Sit down, relax, as in I wish you'd take some time and take the load off. A shortening of take the load off one's feet, this colloquial phrase dates from about 1940. It is sometimes put as take a load off.

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.

He has launched efforts to take the load off broadcasters’ backs and rebalance the regulatory asymmetry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

McVay and LaFleur plan to give Blake Corum and, perhaps, rookie Jarquez Hunter opportunities to take the load off Williams.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2025

Most important — at least in the games he plays — Irving offers the Nets a reliable option to take the load off James Harden and Durant.

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2022

Getting him more involved in this offense will help take the load off of Rodriguez and Levis.

From Fox News • Oct. 20, 2021

I have been trying to take the load off his shoulders so that he could ease up a bit, but he has got into a rut from which he cannot be guided.

From The Efficiency Expert by Burroughs, Edgar Rice

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023