take five
idiomatic phrase
variants
or take ten
US, informal
: to take a brief break (as from work)
They're locked in a fierce debate over the last scene of their film … when camp director and Hollywood veteran Sam Dalton finally orders them to take five.—
Megan Myers
Megan MyersParry Aftab, the executive director of WiredSafety.org, offers these tips for dealing with troubling messages. … Take five. Instead of replying to a message that upsets you, step away and do something you enjoy for five minutes.—Nicole Iorio
Nicole IorioI could see his anger had nearly boiled over. … Coach Colby, who ran the defense, was the brave soul who stepped in. "Take ten," he said, placing a hand on Orlando's chest. "Cool off. Then suit up and meet at the fifty-yard line. Got it?"—Brandon Terrell
Brandon TerrellExamples of take five in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To do that, the Citizens Budget Commission urges the city to take five critical, proactive steps.
—Andrew Rein, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
On the other hand, a cyclical bear market might last two years, and take five years for stock prices to fully recover.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
The jury took five days to deliberate and remained deadlocked.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Seating a full jury proved difficult in the first trial, with selection taking five days and the pool averaging roughly 90 county residents each day.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
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Andrew Rein, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
On the other hand, a cyclical bear market might last two years, and take five years for stock prices to fully recover.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
The jury took five days to deliberate and remained deadlocked.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Seating a full jury proved difficult in the first trial, with selection taking five days and the pool averaging roughly 90 county residents each day.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take five
Cite this Entry
“Take five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20five. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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