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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Olivia Munn's daughter is already taking after her mom. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024 To our knowledge, no actions have been taken after the Cold Case Review presented specific recommendations to BPD. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024 The first step Steffensen took after discovering the footprints was sending along a photo to a photographer friend with a specialization in the natural world. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024 Storie, who is brunette, looks just like her father, while Aspen has blonde hair that takes after her mom. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take after 

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take after was in 1627

Dictionary Entries Near take after

Cite this Entry

“Take after.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20after. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on take after

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!