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

As officials investigated the donor’s rabies status, the cornea recipients had their grafts removed as a precaution and received post-exposure prophylaxis, a medication taken after potential exposure to rabies to prevent infection. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Dec. 2025

During the episode, Kardashian shared that her daughter has taken after her love for beauty. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025

Their snotty eldest son, Kit (Jago Bilderbeck), seems to take after his dad. —Judy Berman, Time, 10 Dec. 2025

Each soccer fan walking by did a double-take after seeing Suarez through a window with the bright orange Future 9 Unleashed boot on full display. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take after

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