WordVale

take on

to accept a task; to hire

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to accept responsibility for something or to start to do something; 2. (verb) to employ someone for a job; 3. (verb) to compete against or oppose someone; 4. (verb) to assume or develop a particular quality or appearance

Examples

• 1. She decided to take on the challenge of learning a new language.
• 2. The company will take on new staff next month.
• 3. The champion will take on a challenger next week.

How to use take on

Take on is a versatile phrasal verb used in professional, competitive, and personal contexts. It emphasizes actively choosing to handle something or someone, often suggesting commitment or confrontation. The employment sense ('we're taking on new staff') is particularly common in business English, while the competitive sense ('take on the world champions') appears frequently in sports and combative contexts.

Common phrases

• take on a challenge
• take on a role
• take on staff
• take on responsibility
• take on a project
• take on an opponent

Synonyms

accept · undertake · assume · tackle · hire

Opposites

refuse · decline · reject

Word family

taken on · taking on

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 'take on' with 'take over'; take on means to accept or start something new, while take over means to assume control of something already existing.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

stick to, sum up, take after, take over, take up, touch on

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained