take over

phrasal verb·4 senses·particle over

Meanings

1

Assume control of something

Why “over”? Something moves from one person or side to another.

The new manager takes over next week.
The new manager assumes control next week.
Maya took over the meeting when Omar left.
Maya started leading the meeting when Omar left.
Can you take over while I run an errand?
Can you handle things while I run an errand?
2

Become more powerful or dominant

Automation is taking over many jobs.
Automation is gradually replacing humans in many jobs.
Online orders are taking over the shop's sales.
Online orders are becoming the main part of the shop's sales.
Weeds had taken over the garden by August.
Weeds had overrun the entire garden by August.
3

Assume control of something

She takes over the project on Monday.
She assumes control of the project starting Monday.
She takes over the project next month.
She assumes control of the project next month.
4

Briefly do a task that another person has been doing

I'll take over driving for a bit.
I'll swap in and do the driving for a while.
Maya took over the front desk after lunch.
Maya briefly did the front desk work after lunch.

Don't confuse with

take overtake off

Take over means assume control of something. Take off means remove clothing or accessories.

Test yourself

The new manager takes over next week. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Practice “take over” in Sink In

Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.