take the floor
idiomatic phrase
1
: to rise (as in a meeting or a legislative assembly) to begin speaking to a group
With Lott and Gramm staring at him as he took the floor during debate, McCain called the bill "seriously skewed," but said he would vote for it.—
Newsweek
NewsweekAt precisely 6:45 a.m. the rowdiness ceases as Sailor, a union safety expert, takes the floor for his weekly lecture.—Jack Friedman
Jack Friedman2
: to go out onto a dance floor to begin dancing
Several couples took the floor.
… the younger people took the floor, and all the elders sneaked back to their chairs …—Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis3
: to go out onto a basketball court to begin playing
Phillips hopes the scouts notice his quickness, his vision, … the way he changes the flow of a game as soon as he takes the floor.—John Gustafson
John GustafsonExamples of take the floor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On day one of the women’s gymnastics qualifications in Paris, a nervous Biles took the floor to warm up.
—Kayla Blanton, SELF, 25 Oct. 2024
Bronny, 20, took the floor of the Lakers' opening night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, Oct. 22, marking the USC alum's first minutes playing in the pro-league.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
The downside may be evident as early as Wednesday night when the Embiid-less, George-less Sixers take the floor against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
The primary pieces of the roster haven’t played many minutes, but when those top players have taken the floor, it’s been remarkable.
—Nick Crain, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take the floor 
Kayla Blanton, SELF, 25 Oct. 2024
Bronny, 20, took the floor of the Lakers' opening night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, Oct. 22, marking the USC alum's first minutes playing in the pro-league.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
The downside may be evident as early as Wednesday night when the Embiid-less, George-less Sixers take the floor against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
The primary pieces of the roster haven’t played many minutes, but when those top players have taken the floor, it’s been remarkable.
—Nick Crain, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take the floor
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take the floor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near take the floor
Cite this Entry
“Take the floor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20floor. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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