take after

verb

took after; taken after; taking after; takes after

transitive verb

: to resemble (someone) in features, build, character, or disposition

a daughter who takes after her mother

"That's Tulliver's son," said the publican to a grocer standing on the adjacent door-step. "Ah!" said the grocer, "I thought I knew his features. He takes after his mother's family."

—George Eliot

"His father was lazy but his mother hasn't a lazy bone in her body, and Peter takes after her."

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

Examples of take after in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike Glassman, Gazit said the video was taken after Khimberly had already been hit with the water bottle, and that Sharon threw the bottle at the other student in response. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026

According to Kurt Russell, his granddaughter, Rio Hudson, 12, is already showing signs of taking after her grandma, Goldie Hawn. —Meg Walters, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026

Overwhelmed, Linda takes after Caroline and absconds to the beach. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026

Bleeding forearms, take after take. —Ryan Brennan march 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take after

• hereinafter
• thereinafter
• drafter
• laughter
• rafter
• hereafter
• thereafter