take five

idiomatic phrase

variants or take ten

US, informal

: to take a brief break (as from work)

They're locked in a fierce debate over the last scene of their film … when camp director and Hollywood veteran Sam Dalton finally orders them to take five.—

Megan Myers

Parry Aftab, the executive director of WiredSafety.org, offers these tips for dealing with troubling messages. … Take five. Instead of replying to a message that upsets you, step away and do something you enjoy for five minutes.—

Nicole Iorio

I could see his anger had nearly boiled over. … Coach Colby, who ran the defense, was the brave soul who stepped in. "Take ten," he said, placing a hand on Orlando's chest. "Cool off. Then suit up and meet at the fifty-yard line. Got it?"—

Brandon Terrell

Examples of take five 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.

With the win, the Knicks have now taken five of their last six games, including a sweep of the final three contests of a four-game homestand. —

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 26 Nov. 2024 But disks take five to ten million years to dissipate. —

Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024 The booking platform Omio just released a study on the best resorts for new skiers based on a number of criteria, from ski schools to reviews, and Austria took five spots, with Ski Alberg (which includes St. Anton), taking the top spot. —

Emma Spedding, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2024 Swing states took five days or longer, but votes are expected to be tallied a bit faster this year. —

Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take five