to take up
19
3.2
- phrasal verb
- /teɪk ʌp/
:
colocarse
- Mara stepped past him and took up a position next to her chief.
- take up a position
- take up residence
Does it need to have its side taken up and spoken for?
- Does it need to have its side taken up and spoken for?
- You know, in Finland, the government takes up some of these financing role.
Examples
-
At the same time, Geordi took up his position at the engineering station.
Fiction book (1991) -
Two more submarines have taken up position not ten miles away.
-
OK, this thing is big, as you can see it takes up the whole bar.
-
Those smaller clients, they take up just as much time as the bigger ones.
-
Secure those bodies, take up a security position, - and stand by.
-
All personnel, take up positions fast!
-
The six finalists go onto the dance floor and take up their positions.
-
Baker eases down into the room, taking up position at the door.
Fiction book (1996) -
All three moved rapidly, spreading out to take up carefully rehearsed positions.
Fiction book (1996) -
The six finalists go onto the dance floor and take up their positions.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Move into a position or seat
60
3.1
To hold an official job or position
35
5.9
To hold a deliberate position or pose for effect
23
4.1
Put on a particular appearance or form
6
7.6
To stand or sit as someone in charge orders
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to begin or start an activity' is only partly derivable from combining 'take' (to grasp/assume) with 'up' (a directional/particle), because the sense is a metaphorical extension of 'lifting into action' rather than a literal composition. As a common phrasal-verb pattern in English, it is somewhat guessable but not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, and cross-linguistic equivalents vary.
Etymology
Take up has a simple picture of moving into a place or position, like a guard who takes up his post or a dancer who takes up a spot on stage. So it came to mean 'to occupy or assume' a position, place, or posture.