take up
[verb]
Synonyms:
- occupy, absorb, consume, cover, extend over, fill, use up
- start, adopt, become involved in, engage in

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Related Idioms: address oneself to
Related Words: assume, tackle, support, affiliate

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

take something up phrasal verb (see also take)

1. take something ↔ up to become interested in a new activity and to spend time doing it:
Roger took painting up for a while, but soon lost interest.

2. to start a new job or have a new responsibility:
Peter will take up the management of the finance department.
take up a post/a position/duties etc
The headteacher takes her duties up in August.

3. take something ↔ up if you take up a suggestion, problem, complaint etc, you start to do something about it:
Now the papers have taken up the story.
take something ↔ up with
The hospital manager has promised to take the matter up with the member of staff involved.
I am still very angry and will be taking it up with the authorities.

4. to fill a particular amount of time or space
be taken up with something
The little time I had outside of school was taken up with work.
take up space/room
old books that were taking up space in the office

5. take something ↔ up to accept a suggestion, offer, or idea:
Rob took up the invitation to visit.
take up the challenge/gauntlet
Rick took up the challenge and cycled the 250 mile route alone.

6. to move to the exact place where you should be, so that you are ready to do something:
The runners are taking up their positions on the starting line.

7. take something ↔ up to make a piece of clothing shorter Antonym : let down

8. take something ↔ up to continue a story or activity that you or someone else had begun, after a short break:
I’ll take up the story where you left off.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

ˈtake-up noun [uncountable] British English
the rate at which people accept something that is offered to them:
Take-up for college places has been slow.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

take up
take up (something)
1.
to begin to do something.
She worked for a TV company, then took up writing and produced a series of best-sellers.

I didn't know you smoked — when did you take it up?

2.
to consider or deal with something.
A group has taken up the cause of preserving open spaces in our town.

The coach said he couldn't practice with the team, and that he needed to take the matter up with Principal Hall.

3.
to shorten a piece of clothing.
The skirt dragged on the floor, so I took it up.

I need to have these pants taken up.

take up (somewhere/something)
to fill a space or a period of time.
This desk takes up most of my office.

Just getting there would take up too much of his time.

Most of the weekend was taken up with shopping and cleaning.

take up (somewhere/something)
to fill a space or a period of time.
This desk takes up most of my office.

Just getting there would take up too much of his time.

Most of the weekend was taken up with shopping and cleaning.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

take up something
take up (something)
1.
to begin to do something.
She worked for a TV company, then took up writing and produced a series of best-sellers.

I didn't know you smoked — when did you take it up?

2.
to consider or deal with something.
A group has taken up the cause of preserving open spaces in our town.

The coach said he couldn't practice with the team, and that he needed to take the matter up with Principal Hall.

3.
to shorten a piece of clothing.
The skirt dragged on the floor, so I took it up.

I need to have these pants taken up.

take up (somewhere/something)
to fill a space or a period of time.
This desk takes up most of my office.

Just getting there would take up too much of his time.

Most of the weekend was taken up with shopping and cleaning.

take up (somewhere/something)
to fill a space or a period of time.
This desk takes up most of my office.

Just getting there would take up too much of his time.

Most of the weekend was taken up with shopping and cleaning.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

take up
1. • take up (something)
to begin an activity or hobby
My father has much free time lately and has decided to take up fishing as a hobby.

2. • take up (somewhere)
to begin somewhere, to start somewhere
We took up the lesson where we had finished last week.

3. • take up (clothes)
to make a skirt/dress/pants shorter
I went back to the department store to see if they could take up my suit pants.

4. • take up (time)
to fill/occupy time, to waste someone's time
Building model airplanes takes up most of my friend's time.

5. • take up (space or room)
to fill a space or room, to occupy space or room
The old chairs are taking up space in the garage.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

take up something
• take up (something)
to begin an activity or hobby
My father has much free time lately and has decided to take up fishing as a hobby.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

take up
v.
1. To remove by taking in.
Use a blotter to take up the spilled ink.
When the vacuum cleaner bag is full, it will not take up dirt from the rug.
2. To fill or to occupy.
All his evenings were taken up with study.
The oceans take up the greater part of the earth's surface.
The mayor has taken up residence on State Street.
3. To gather together; collect.
We are taking up a collection to buy flowers for John because he is in the hospital.
4. To take away.
John had his driver's license taken up for speeding.
5a. To begin; start.
The teacher took up the lesson where she left off yesterday.
5b. To begin to do or learn; go into as a job or hobby.
He recently took up gardening.
He took up the carpenter's trade as a boy.
Compare: GO INTO³, GO IN FOR, TAKE TO.
6. To pull and make tight or shorter; shorten.
The tailor took up the legs of the trousers.
Take up the slack on the rope!
Compare: TAKE IN³.
7. To take or accept something that is offered.
The boss offered me a $5 raise and I took him up.
I took John up on his bet.
Compare: JUMP AT.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲