take a/its toll
idiom
: to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something : to cause harm or damage
If you keep working so hard, the stress will eventually take its toll.
—often + onToo much sunlight can take a (heavy) toll on your skin.
Her illness has taken a toll on her marriage.
Examples of take a/its toll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sustaining Leadership Through Intention And Balance Periods of change can take a toll on leaders, both mentally and emotionally.
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Farah Bala, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
That two-day difference, which applied to patients across all stages of cancer, could take a toll on U.S. health care systems, as hospital stays nationwide cost about $1,500 per day, according to the study.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
Declining vaccination rates take a toll Measles cases have risen in recent years with 285 US cases reported last year alone, the most since 2019 when prolonged outbreaks among undervaccinated communities in New York threatened elimination status, according to the CDC.
—Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
During the Knicks’ nine-game winning streak and a dominant stretch of 19 wins in 23 games, the heavy burden on their core players began to take its toll.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2025
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Farah Bala, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
That two-day difference, which applied to patients across all stages of cancer, could take a toll on U.S. health care systems, as hospital stays nationwide cost about $1,500 per day, according to the study.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
Declining vaccination rates take a toll Measles cases have risen in recent years with 285 US cases reported last year alone, the most since 2019 when prolonged outbreaks among undervaccinated communities in New York threatened elimination status, according to the CDC.
—Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
During the Knicks’ nine-game winning streak and a dominant stretch of 19 wins in 23 games, the heavy burden on their core players began to take its toll.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a/its toll
Cite this Entry
“Take a/its toll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%2Fits%20toll. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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