take the plunge
idiomatic phrase
informal
: to do or undertake something especially after a period of hesitation or uncertainty
Up to now, I've avoided growing roses … . But last winter the ripe catalogue shots of roses took hold in my imagination, and I decided to take the plunge.—
Michael Pollan
Michael PollanAs with any new OS upgrade, it is prudent to wait awhile before taking the plunge, to make sure others have had a chance to find all the bugs.—Peter H. Lewis
Peter H. LewisIf you've considered buying an e-reader but haven't yet taken the plunge, there's no longer a need to wait.—Joshua J. Romero
Joshua J. RomeroExamples of take the plunge in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not a bad haul for a man who had never played a minute of professional football when Leicester took the plunge and picked him up at the age of 25 from Fleetwood Town, who had just won promotion from the National League.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Then now's the time to take the plunge, because this Nikon Z8, an absolute powerhouse of a mirrorless camera, is up to $800 off.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Fortunately for anyone who’d rather not take the plunge, there’s Three Sisters Springs, a jewellike 1-acre body of water surrounded by a sliver of forest and featuring a wooden boardwalk.
—Valerie Rains, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025
The temporary spaces have been successful enough for the Australian women’s brand to take the plunge and open its first permanent store.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the plunge
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.
Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Then now's the time to take the plunge, because this Nikon Z8, an absolute powerhouse of a mirrorless camera, is up to $800 off.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Fortunately for anyone who’d rather not take the plunge, there’s Three Sisters Springs, a jewellike 1-acre body of water surrounded by a sliver of forest and featuring a wooden boardwalk.
—Valerie Rains, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025
The temporary spaces have been successful enough for the Australian women’s brand to take the plunge and open its first permanent store.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take the plunge
Cite this Entry
“Take the plunge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20plunge. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share