took up

past tense of take up
1
2
as in drank
to take in (something liquid) through small openings the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

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 took up The other laureates, French economist Philippe Aghion and Canadian-American Peter Howitt, also took up the earlier work of renowned Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter, from the first half of the 20th century, 150 years after Smith. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025 Sybille Darricarrère Lunel, formerly of Dior and Galeries Lafayette, took up her role in July, succeeding acting CEO Ralph Toledano, who remains chairman of the company. Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025 María Elvira Salazar, the Florida representative, recently took up the cause of a Cuban rapper named Eliéxer Márquez Duany. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 The winger spent time with family and took up new sports in golf and padel during his downtime. Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 None of them took up the offer from the production team. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Sep. 2025 Flaws in medical devices were not a new concept that the 2023 guidance took up. Christian Espinosa, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 The documents are dated July 17 and July 21, respectively — more than a week before the City Council took up the mayor’s request to declare the three parcels surplus property. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025 Fast forward to 1983, and another lab took up the mystery. Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for took up
Verb
  • On the surface, Çiftlik Bank—Turkish for Farm Bank—was little more than a FarmVille rip-off; the functionality for tending to digital crops and livestock was lifted more or less straight from their competitor.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The crowd can get so tight that people are lifted off the ground beneath them.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On a recent day, a patron drank a Guinness at the bar amid walls are covered in funeral notices from people who had come for a drink after saying that final goodbye.
    Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The name, borrowed from the post-apocalyptic movie series, immediately drew attention for its bold tone.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Dressing accordingly for the theme, Harry borrowed his friend Tom Hardy’s Mad Max costume while Meghan sported a camo tank with torn black shorts and fishnet stockings.
    Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • During the president’s first term in office, his officials raised alarms about Beijing’s growing technological prowess, its military buildup, and its dominance over the critical minerals industry.
    Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • This week, faced with the prospect of losing SNAP assistance and the stress of the holidays around the corner, Gabrielle, a West Virginia resident, reluctantly raised her hand in a community Facebook group.
    Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The medications are known to delay gastric emptying, slowing down how quickly alcohol gets absorbed.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • In hopes of creating lubrication, water was poured on her, but the walls absorbed the liquid, according to On The Verge.
    Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 4-2-3-1 formation has been one of the most prominent systems used across Europe since the turn of the century, adopted by some of the best tacticians in modern football.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • In keeping with the change in temperatures and tones this season, Kristen Stewart has now adopted a new look.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The values Homer elevated, especially those of male honor and female duplicity, established parameters for the war story (and not only the war story) for centuries to come.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Wright was signed to the Commanders' practice squad and immediately elevated to the active roster alongside defensive tackle Sheldon Day.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Fangs tend to turn up in snake poop after they are swallowed.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
  • What epic tales might try to picture the explosion of the supervolcano in the Rocky Mountains and the gigantic crater lake of bubbling acid that eons ago swallowed places called Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Took up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20up. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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