take advantage of

idiomatic phrase

1

: to make good use of (something) : to profit by (something)

take advantage of an opportunity

We took advantage of the warm weather and did some yard work.

2

a

: to impose on (someone) : to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone)

After a while, I began to think she was taking advantage of me.

He felt like he'd been taken advantage of.

b

: to use (something or someone) unfairly for personal gain

He took advantage of [=exploited] my lack of experience.

It adds that young people in care homes, with learning disabilities, those excluded from school or using drugs or alcohol are particularly vulnerable to being targeted by people who take advantage of them for money, food or drugs.

—Stephen Naysmith

c

: to exploit (someone) sexually

The star shared her experiences of Hollywood bosses who tried to take advantage of her in the early days of her career.

—The Belfast Telegraph Online

Examples of take advantage of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This type of attack takes advantage of the fact that many people use the same passwords across multiple accounts. —Craig Davies, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

The idea is to take advantage of the relative price movements between two highly correlated assets, typically within the same sector or industry. —Michael Khouw, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2024

Republicans took their message to Milwaukee Black voters Wednesday with a pitch to take advantage of early voting that opened in the state this week. —Tamia Fowlkes, Journal Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024

Most recently, Prime members can take advantage of discounts on gasoline and EV charging at select stations across the United States. —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1