1
as in departing
to leave a place often for another
I can only stay for a few minutes, and then I'll need to take off again
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removing
to rid oneself of (a garment)
take off your coat and stay awhile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in subtracting
to take away (an amount or number) from a total
the store will take an additional 20% off if you bring in this coupon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in robbing
slang
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
a gangbanger who decided to take off some fast-food joint
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taking off
The winter coming home sad, the summer coming home happy, slamming the door during an argument, taking off my shoes and sitting on the floor tired from something.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
The state encounters, which are in addition to what local police are doing, add to the total number of people that ICE is taking off the street and preparing to deport.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2025
Swapping out the old blade for a new one requires opening the two small slider locks and taking off the single handle panel to access the internal hardware.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
Carousels and videos seem to be taking off, as well as text-only posts that share a polarising view or challenge an industry belief.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
On his 32-yard rushing touchdown, Pribula fought hard in the pocket before taking off.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025
My career in research started taking off at that college.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
But Cholewa’s career actually started taking off toward the end of middle school.
—Dave Melton, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
That was surely the case for me, someone who loves the look of lashes, but is not the most suited for extensions and absolutely hates taking off mascara at the end of the night.
—Essence, 31 July 2025
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
The state encounters, which are in addition to what local police are doing, add to the total number of people that ICE is taking off the street and preparing to deport.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2025
Swapping out the old blade for a new one requires opening the two small slider locks and taking off the single handle panel to access the internal hardware.
—New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
Carousels and videos seem to be taking off, as well as text-only posts that share a polarising view or challenge an industry belief.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
On his 32-yard rushing touchdown, Pribula fought hard in the pocket before taking off.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025
My career in research started taking off at that college.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
But Cholewa’s career actually started taking off toward the end of middle school.
—Dave Melton, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
That was surely the case for me, someone who loves the look of lashes, but is not the most suited for extensions and absolutely hates taking off mascara at the end of the night.
—Essence, 31 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking off
Verb
-
Lock your home before departing.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Heat also brought in forward Simone Fontecchio as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons, sending out departing ex-Heat free sharpshooter Duncan Robinson in the offing.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Inside the metal carry case, there’s the dermaplaning Facial Razor, complete with one handle and three durable stainless-steel blades that offer delicate precision when removing peach fuzz and dead skin cells.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps your direct manager has been cold over Slack lately, removing you from important assignments or emails.—
Julia Sullivan,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If the owner never comes forward, companies are required to turn over the proceeds to the state after subtracting their fees.—
Dave Altimari,
ProPublica,
9 Sep. 2025
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Shares are priced at less than the figure arrived at when subtracting the company’s total liabilities from its total assets.—
John Navin,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The socialite made headlines in May by wearing her version of the necklace in Paris during the trial of 10 people who were accused of robbing the reality star in October 2016.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Four months into probation, Brown was arrested for robbing a man at an apartment.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Center Jonny King is considered questionable for Saturday’s contest after exiting in the second half against the Tar Heels.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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The air-condition, heating and electricity automatically turns off when the keycard is taken out of its slot, but to avoid this many leave one card in the slot when exiting the room.—
Mattias Goldmann,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The order not only stripped workers of union protections but also stopped them from automatically deducting union dues from their paychecks.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
1 Sep. 2025
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Instead of business owners deducting state income tax on their individual return (where it’s capped), the entity pays the tax directly.—
Robert Green,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Both offenses are moving with little resistance thus far.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
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Both injuries have significant implications for fantasy, as Jacory Croskey-Merritt is assured more touches in Washington moving forward; in Green Bay, Matthew Golden will have more chances to show his skills with Reed out in Week 3 and beyond.—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Speedrunners have also found some arcane sequence skips to get around certain bosses or methods for putting off some boss fights until later than the developers intended.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
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Amid an influx of trends, like the red pill movement, data shows that men are by and large putting off commitment for longer.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20off. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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