pick/take up the slack

idiom

: to provide or do something that is missing or not getting done

The manager has to take up the slack when employees don't do their jobs correctly.

When he didn't get the pay raise he was expecting, he had to take another job to pick up the slack for more money.

Examples of pick/take up the slack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Having a partner to pick up the slack so that the workload and responsibility didn’t rest on one set of shoulders also proved vital, as Trevillian points out. —

Mike Dojc, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 Despite the sluggish pace of earnings growth so far in the third quarter, some companies have historically outpaced analysts’ estimates and could help pick up the slack for the broader market. —

Brian Evans, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2024 Often, even having an equal partner in the picture isn’t enough to pick up the slack. —

wendy Wisner, Parents, 23 Oct. 2024 This year, indie efforts have helped to pick up the slack. —

Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pick/take up the slack

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“Pick/take up the slack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%2Ftake%20up%20the%20slack. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

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