takeover

1 of 2

noun

take·​over ˈtāk-ˌō-vər How to pronounce takeover (audio)
: the action or an act of taking over

take over

2 of 2

verb

took over; taken over; taking over; takes over

transitive verb

: to assume control or possession of or responsibility for
military leaders took over the government

intransitive verb

1
: to assume control or possession
2
: to become dominant

Examples of takeover in a Sentence

Noun The government experienced a military takeover in 2002. the new government's high-handed takeover of private industries Verb I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break. took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
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.
Noun
Min Aung Hlaing and senior members of his government are shunned and sanctioned by many Western countries for their 2021 takeover and human rights abuses. Grant Peck, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025 That’s primarily because Lancia models were expensive and rarely seen in the U.S. throughout the five decades before the automaker was acquired by Fiat in 1969, an acquisition that followed some challenging years prior to the takeover that saved the Italian manufacturer from extinction. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
Holloway has taken over the Western Conference playoff race. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 In an email to USAID staff, Jeremy Lewin, a Department of Government Efficiency official who took over running the day-to-day operations at USAID from Pete Marocco on March 20, said the RIFs would go into effect either on July 1 or September 2. Fatma Tanis, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for takeover

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1910, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1618, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of takeover was in 1618

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Takeover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/takeover. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

take over

verb
(ˈ)tā-ˈkō-vər
: to get control or possession of or responsibility for something
takeover
ˈtā-ˌkō-vər
noun

Legal Definition

takeover

noun
take·​over ˈtāk-ˌō-vər How to pronounce takeover (audio)
: the acquisition of control or possession (as of a corporation)
a hostile takeover

More from Merriam-Webster on takeover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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