Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to take the con

to take the con

1 7.9
To lead a meeting or discussion
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : tomar el mando
  • During the mission briefing, Commander Lee said, 'I will handle the plan, so you can take the con and lead the discussion.'

Examples

  • He prefers to take the con when complex decisions need to be made.

  • Who will take the con if our team leader is absent during the meeting?

  • After a brief pause, she decided to take the con and guide the discussion to a conclusion.

  • I will take the con during the meeting.

  • She takes the con when discussing project details.

  • When the project manager was unavailable, Sarah was asked to take the con and guide the team through their presentations.

  • In the absence of their leader, Jacob decided to take the con and ensure that everyone stayed on track during the meeting.

Synonyms

to take control
vsto take the con
227 3.5

Start to have power and make decisions about something

is about guiding a meeting or discussion rather than gaining power generally
to take charge
vsto take the con
98 3.5

Start to control a group or situation and lead others

is focused on taking charge in meetings or discussions rather than general tasks
to take the lead
vsto take the con
79 3.2

To start guiding a group or activity and make the main decisions

is oriented to leading discussions and group talk rather than broad initiatives
to take the wheel
vsto take the con
23 4.7

To drive a car or have control of a situation

is limited to taking charge in meetings and group conversations, not driving
to take the chair
vsto take the con
  • UK
3 5.6

Lead a meeting as the person in charge

is used for assuming authority specifically in meetings rather than general situations
to hold the reins
vsto take the con
  • Informal
3 4.9

To be in control of a group or business

is narrower, applying to directing discussions and group processes specifically

Antonyms

to defer
  • Formal
36 6.2

To accept another person's opinion or decision out of respect

How In Charge

to assume
77 5.7
to take the con
1 7.9
to chair
64 4.8

Surface Forms

take the con infinitive
taking the con present participle
takes the con third person singular
took the con past
taken the con past participle

Morphology

take + the + con

Although 'take' is transparent, the element 'con' here is specialized jargon (from nautical 'conn', to direct a ship) and is not a common, predictable noun for learners; many B1 learners will either not know it or confuse it with 'con' meaning a swindle. The overall meaning 'assume control' therefore cannot be derived from ordinary constituent meanings, making the expression opaque to a typical B1 learner.

Etymology

Take the con comes from old ships, where to con meant 'to steer' the ship. The person who 'took the con' was steering and in charge, so today take the con means to take control or lead a discussion or task.