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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Undertake

/ˌʌndəˈteɪk/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To take upon oneself; to start, to embark on (a specific task etc.)..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (transitive) To take upon oneself; to start, to embark on (a specific task etc.).
  2. (intransitive) To commit oneself (to an obligation, activity etc.).
  3. (British, informal) To pass a slower moving vehicle on the curbside rather than on the side closest to oncoming traffic.
  4. (archaic, intransitive) To pledge; to assert, assure; to dare say.
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To take by trickery; to trap, to seize upon.
  6. (obsolete) To assume, as a character; to take on.
  7. (obsolete) To engage with; to attack, take on in a fight.
  8. (obsolete) To have knowledge of; to hear.

Example Sentences

This said, he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appeared To second, or oppose, or undertake The perilous attempt.
He undertook to exercise more in future.
[…] if King Lewis vouchsafe to furnish us With some few bands of chosen soldiers, I’ll undertake to land them on our coast And force the tyrant from his seat by war.
That is her ransom; I deliver her; And those two counties I will undertake Your grace shall well and quietly enjoy.
[…] if those Persons who are curious in collecting either Minerals, or the Shells, Teeth, or other Parts of Animal Bodies that have been buried in the Earth, do but search the Hills after Rains, and the Sea-Shores after Storms, I dare undertake they will not lose their Labour.
Quince. […] you must needs play Pyramus. Bottom. Well, I will undertake it.
It is not fit your lordship should undertake every companion that you give offence to.
Ne he his mouth would open unto wight, Untill that Guyon selfe unto him spake, And called Brigadore, (so was he hight,) Whose voice so soone as he did undertake, Eftsoones he stood as still as any stake,

Synonyms for undertake

tackletake onset aboutcontractattemptguaranteetake in charge

Antonyms for undertake

overtake

Related Words

take onset aboutattemptguaranteecontracttackletake in chargegetattainachieveenterperformbringachievementachievingaccomplishproceedingfulfillbeginparticipate

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does undertake mean?

Undertake means (transitive) To take upon oneself; to start, to embark on (a specific task etc.)..

What is a synonym for undertake?

Common synonyms include tackle, take on, set about, contract.

What is the opposite of undertake?

Possible antonyms include overtake.

How do you use undertake in a sentence?

This said, he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appeared To second, or oppose, or undertake The perilous attempt.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.