: the action or an act of taking over

take over

2 of 2

verb

took over; taken over; taking over; takes over

transitive verb

: to assume control or possession of or responsibility for
military leaders took over the government

intransitive verb

1
: to assume control or possession
2
: to become dominant

Examples of takeover in a Sentence

Noun The government experienced a military takeover in 2002. the new government's high-handed takeover of private industries Verb I'll take over for her until she gets back from her morning break. took over the responsibility of caring for the animals
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
As the company’s valuation plummeted back to 1990s levels, the once-unthinkable idea of an Intel takeover has become more plausible. Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025 Be that by way of multiple zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploiting Windows users, or Microsoft Account takeovers that bypass authentication protections. Davey Winder, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
The Slump God are on the bill for Rolling Loud California, which will take over Hollywood Park on March 15 and March 16. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2025 Inspired by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, the Netflix comedy follows Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson), who is suddenly tasked with taking over her family's business: the Los Angeles Waves. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for takeover

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1910, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1618, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of takeover was in 1618

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Cite this Entry

“Takeover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/takeover. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

take over

verb
(ˈ)tā-ˈkō-vər
: to get control or possession of or responsibility for something
takeover
ˈtā-ˌkō-vər
noun

Legal Definition

: the acquisition of control or possession (as of a corporation)
a hostile takeover

More from Merriam-Webster on takeover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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