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
However, focusing on things in your career that haven’t gone your way rather than those things that have can also take a toll on your confidence.
—
Joseph Liu, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
But surely the frozen island situated north of the Arctic Circle's negative temperatures and lack of sunshine must take a toll on her mental and physical health, right?
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Dermatologists say there is certainly merit to the idea that toxic relationships take a toll on your skin, as well as your overall health, and thereby contribute to acne.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Doomscrolling, or the process of endlessly scrolling through bad news, can also take a toll on mental health.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a/its toll
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Joseph Liu, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
But surely the frozen island situated north of the Arctic Circle's negative temperatures and lack of sunshine must take a toll on her mental and physical health, right?
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Dermatologists say there is certainly merit to the idea that toxic relationships take a toll on your skin, as well as your overall health, and thereby contribute to acne.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Doomscrolling, or the process of endlessly scrolling through bad news, can also take a toll on mental health.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 18 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 12 Mar. 2025.
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