take a/its toll
idiom
: to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something : to cause harm or damage
If you keep working so hard, the stress will eventually take its toll.
—often + onToo much sunlight can take a (heavy) toll on your skin.
Her illness has taken a toll on her marriage.
Examples of take a/its toll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
American tariffs are anticipated to further take a toll on U.S. currency values.
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Allison Landa, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2025
Bobbi and her siblings did their best to bring her comfort, even as dementia and Parkinson's disease started to take a toll.
—Maquita Peters, NPR, 11 May 2025
But six or seven games of this type of pounding are going to take a toll.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Auto tariffs President Trump’s global trade war is starting to take a toll on automakers.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a/its toll
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Allison Landa, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2025
Bobbi and her siblings did their best to bring her comfort, even as dementia and Parkinson's disease started to take a toll.
—Maquita Peters, NPR, 11 May 2025
But six or seven games of this type of pounding are going to take a toll.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Auto tariffs President Trump’s global trade war is starting to take a toll on automakers.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a/its toll
Cite this Entry
“Take a/its toll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%2Fits%20toll. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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