taking over

verb

present participle of take over
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

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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 Mladic first led a Serb insurgency in Croatia before taking over the Bosnian Serb army that was backed by Serbia and then-President Slobodan Milosevic, who also died in the custody of the Hague court in 2006 while on trial for genocide. — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Many believe that the dynamic duo taking over the reins have the energy and training to take the company into the future. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026 Geer worked regularly in regional theater for decades before taking over the role of Zeb from Edgar Bergen, who originated the role in The Homecoming. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026 Shapiro has been named the next Richard Rodgers dean and director of the drama division at the prestigious school, taking over starting in July 2027. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 With swangy flavors taking over the snack aisle, these findings raise some interesting questions about whether the trend could do more than just satisfy adventurous taste buds. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 The retailer has expanded the space by 140 percent, taking over an area formerly dedicated to tableware, crockery and small home furnishings. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 July 2026 The San Francisco campus is taking over the site of the California College of the Arts, the 119-year-old institution that will graduate its final class in 2027 after struggling with falling enrollment and a roughly $20 million deficit. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 July 2026 Melvin has been part of the main broadcast of the show since 2024, taking over for Hoda Kotb after her departure. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taking over
  1. substituting
  2. assuming
  3. seizing
  4. standing in
  5. accepting
  6. converting
  7. filling in
  8. shouldering
Verb
  • His character Ned Schneebly was supposed to be substituting — until Dewey impersonated him and stepped in.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Like the Republican critics of resistance politics, progressive ones depicted it as substituting legal tactics for electoral victories.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of substituting
Verb
  • Coronated at age 3 after his father’s death, the curious boy king in colorful robes mesmerized world leaders and ruled through regents until assuming full authority at 18.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • At those levels, assuming no additional charges, paying off the debt while making minimum payments could take nearly 27 years and cost nearly $13,000 in interest alone, according to Bankrate's credit card calculator.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assuming
Verb
  • At the same time, seizing damaged assets could bring another financial burden.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Hull were, unsurprisingly, the opposite, playing with urgency on the ball and seizing the opportunity to hurt United at set pieces.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of seizing
Verb
  • It’s mainly centered on Billie, who is worried about an old Facebook post standing in the way of finding a job.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Seven dogs surrounded and attacked a Charlotte woman standing in her yard, and three additional people were hurt while trying to help her, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of standing in
Verb
  • So deep are the divisions that hardliners have accused officials of deliberately mismanaging the economic crisis to pressure an exhausted public into accepting a deal.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Miller and Young each received two-year prison sentences but were released shortly after accepting the plea agreement.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of accepting
Verb
  • Stars such as Renate Reinsve and Mads Mikkelsen, major festival prizes and awards-season visibility remain powerful assets, while local festivals and territory-specific marketing can be just as decisive in converting prestige into admissions.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • About $2 billion is being invested in modernizing and converting spaces in center city.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of converting
Verb
  • Jelly Roll shared his thoughts on Dolly Parton while filling in as guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Is Barron capable of filling in if Patrick Surtain II or Moss miss time, which has happened each of the last two seasons?
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of filling in
Verb
  • Yuba-Sutter grower Rob Bains has a land development and custom farm work business and is shouldering hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs for former Del Monte farmers until they get paid through the tree pull program.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • What must happen is that even these lower density neighborhoods start adding housing stock at rates roughly proportional to what every other neighborhood is shouldering.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of shouldering

Browse Nearby Words

taking out
taking over
takings
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Cite this Entry

“Taking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taking%20over. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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