1
as in substituting
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in assuming
to take to or upon oneself
took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in seizing
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
students protesting the war took over the college's radio station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of taking over
The best Origins products show exactly why this brand has been taking over bathroom-shelf real estate since the ’90s.
—
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 12 Sep. 2025
Billboard returned to New York City for its annual Hip-Hop/R&B LIVE event, taking over Webster Hall for a night of unforgettable performances.
—Quincy Green, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
Marking the retail debut of the Genius collection created with Edward Enninful, Moncler is taking over the windows at Saks in New York during the city’s fashion week.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
Coach Kellen Moore enters his first year in the head job with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough taking over after former quarterback Derek Carr abruptly retired in the offseason.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
We were blown away by the divas taking over pop radio, including Whitney, Mariah, and Celine — VH1 even dedicated a concert series to them.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Suamataia just plain abandoned his technique midway through that game, a form of panic mode taking over.
—Sam McDowell 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Today the San Bernardino National Forest Type 3 Team is taking over the fire.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Critics have said taking over Gaza City would further endanger the remaining hostages held by Hamas, entrench the Israeli military even further into the conflict and result in a higher number of Palestinian civilian casualties.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 12 Sep. 2025
Billboard returned to New York City for its annual Hip-Hop/R&B LIVE event, taking over Webster Hall for a night of unforgettable performances.
—Quincy Green, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
Marking the retail debut of the Genius collection created with Edward Enninful, Moncler is taking over the windows at Saks in New York during the city’s fashion week.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
Coach Kellen Moore enters his first year in the head job with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough taking over after former quarterback Derek Carr abruptly retired in the offseason.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
We were blown away by the divas taking over pop radio, including Whitney, Mariah, and Celine — VH1 even dedicated a concert series to them.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Suamataia just plain abandoned his technique midway through that game, a form of panic mode taking over.
—Sam McDowell 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Today the San Bernardino National Forest Type 3 Team is taking over the fire.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Critics have said taking over Gaza City would further endanger the remaining hostages held by Hamas, entrench the Israeli military even further into the conflict and result in a higher number of Palestinian civilian casualties.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking over
Verb
-
Taking the question further, and assuming the Fed capable of the magic that Democrats, Republicans and even libertarians ascribe to it, won’t private capital retreat overcome the Fed substituting itself for the marketplace in the first place?—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
When making the switch to a plant-forward diet, Moon advised easing into it with small changes such as adding leafy greens to smoothies, using tofu in a grain bowl, and substituting animal fats for olive oil.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Free as a Bird albums — with Davies assuming the lead vocals and songwriting by himself.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Creating truly inclusive environments means understanding and addressing these disparities, not assuming one-size-fits-all solutions will work.—
Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Despite the slowdown in Europe’s soft denim sales, Turkish mill Isko is seizing new growth opportunities across Asia.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
-
This one was about seizing one of the sweetest victories of his legendary career … whether the old quarterback wanted to admit it or not.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Visitors are surprised at first seeing even one sculpture appear out of nowhere standing in the river.—
Jeanine Barone,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This year, Huntsinger wants to avoid the scheduling snafus that led so many loyal badge holders ($780 each) standing in line for hours without seeing the big films.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But sales have since slowed, and the automaker stopped accepting orders from dealers and customers this July.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Gaga started the night by accepting the award for artist of the year.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In his testimony, Norwood argues that Entergy failed to consider other less costly options for its generating project in Jefferson County, namely converting the already-existing White Bluff facility to burn natural gas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The main production pathway for SAF is converting fats and oils into fuel—around 80% is derived from vegetable oils, some of it recovered from restaurants.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Steelers wouldn’t have even been in position for that last touchdown pass if not for a brutal error by Xavier Gipson, filling in at kick returner after Kene Nwangwu left with an injury.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In 2011, the adjustment was mostly about filling in gaps left by missing coworkers.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Who had been shouldering this responsibility of caring for this last individual.—
Maria Reva
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The Iron Claw A24's 2023 sports drama chronicles the real-life saga of the Von Erich brothers, who body-slammed their way into professional wrestling esteem in the 1980s while shouldering multiple family tragedies and the burden of their father's (Holt McCallany) towering legacy in the ring.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20over. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share