take over
verb
take over is spelled T-A-K-E-O-V-E-R: 8 letters. People search “take-over vs takeover” about 50 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, take over means “To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in take over?
| Letters | 8: T-A-K-E-O-V-E-R |
|---|---|
| In writing | a phrase: the frequency list counts single words |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you pronounce take over?
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-take_over.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with take over
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: takeover (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of take over
- takes over present, singular, he/she/it
- taking over participle, present
- took over past
- taken over participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does take over mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To assume control of something, such as a business or enterprise, and sometimes by force.
- 2
To adopt a further responsibility or duty.
He will take over the job permanently when the accountant retires.
- 3
To relieve someone temporarily.
My husband is taking over the accounts department during the holiday period, while the chief accountant is away.
- 4
To buy out the ownership of a business.
Acme Motors is to take Jetcar Industries over this week, if all goes as planned.
- 5
To appropriate something without permission.
- 6
To annex a territory by conquest or invasion; to conquer.
Ancient Rome took over lands throughout the known world.
- 7
To become more successful than (someone or something else).
Buzz Lightyear has taken over Woody as the most popular children's toy.
- 8
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see take, over.
He took the car over to the garage.
noun
- 1
Alternative form of takeover.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Take over in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | reprendre , assumer , remplacer |
| German | übernehmen |
| Portuguese | tomar posse de, apoderar-se de, assumir controle de , assumir |
| Spanish | apoderarse, enseñorearse, adueñarse |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.