take time
idiom
1
: to need or require time to happen or be done
You have to be patient. Things like this take time.
It may take some time for the medication to wear off.
The meeting won't take too much time.
This job is easy and will take no time at all.
2
or take the time
: to use an amount of time in order to do something important
They never took the time to get to know her.
I took some time to think about it, and my answer is still "no."
Examples of take time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Satellites only last so long and take time to build, so NOAA is continually planning for the future, and using its technical expertise to develop new instruments and computer algorithms to interpret the data.
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Christine Wiedinmyer, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Rebuilding state institutions is crucial for resuming the delivery of public services, rebuilding infrastructure, and restoring essential civil services, though reconstructing a public sector that can handle these tasks will take time.
—Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
The general consensus among Reddit users was that the woman needs to take time for self-reflection and perhaps a shift in perspective.
—Toria Sheffield, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
There’s all of these things and those things take time.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for take time 
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Christine Wiedinmyer, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Rebuilding state institutions is crucial for resuming the delivery of public services, rebuilding infrastructure, and restoring essential civil services, though reconstructing a public sector that can handle these tasks will take time.
—Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
The general consensus among Reddit users was that the woman needs to take time for self-reflection and perhaps a shift in perspective.
—Toria Sheffield, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
There’s all of these things and those things take time.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for take time
Dictionary Entries Near take time
Cite this Entry
“Take time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20time. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.
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