take after

verb

took after; taken after; taking after; takes after

transitive verb

: to resemble (someone) in features, build, character, or disposition
a daughter who takes after her mother
"That's Tulliver's son," said the publican to a grocer standing on the adjacent door-step. "Ah!" said the grocer, "I thought I knew his features. He takes after his mother's family."George Eliot
"His father was lazy but his mother hasn't a lazy bone in her body, and Peter takes after her."Lucy Maud Montgomery

Examples of take after in a Sentence

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.
While the sports executive has kept details of his relationships and kids out of the spotlight, one of his children has taken after him on the basketball court. Jessica Sager, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025 Keeping yourself safe The first step someone should take after being scammed is contact their bank immediately. Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025 The photograph was taken after one of the most gruesome episodes of racial terror in American history. Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025 Adding to the confusion was the name on her certificate of live birth: Unakite Thirteen Hotel, which Kilburn says he was told was computer-generated by the Iowa hospital where Caroline was taken after her home birth. Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take after

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take after was in 1627

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take after.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20after. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on take after

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!