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
The kind of stifling perimeter defenders who’ve stopped many dynamic guards who’ve taken the floor at the United Center.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
But before any more momentum can gather against Dan, his guardian angel, Deontay, takes the floor.
—Molly Fitzpatrick, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
From the juggernaut Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty to new marquee talent like Caitlin Clark taking the floor, the league is growing faster than ever.
—Rishikesh Rajagopalan, CBS News, 14 May 2024
In total, 76 countries have asked to take the floor at the meeting.
—Fox News, 29 Apr. 2024
In one sense, the game began when the teams took the floor for the second half.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Arizona State took the floor looking for a bounce-back game after losing for the first time at Desert Financial Arena on Wednesday in controversial, and disappointing, fashion.
—Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2024
Center Isaiah Jackson had seven, and everyone who took the floor grabbed at least one.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Jan. 2024
The Badgers took the floor Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center against Rutgers, the last-place team in the Big Ten that has been playing short-handed due to injuries.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
But before any more momentum can gather against Dan, his guardian angel, Deontay, takes the floor.
—Molly Fitzpatrick, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
From the juggernaut Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty to new marquee talent like Caitlin Clark taking the floor, the league is growing faster than ever.
—Rishikesh Rajagopalan, CBS News, 14 May 2024
In total, 76 countries have asked to take the floor at the meeting.
—Fox News, 29 Apr. 2024
In one sense, the game began when the teams took the floor for the second half.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Arizona State took the floor looking for a bounce-back game after losing for the first time at Desert Financial Arena on Wednesday in controversial, and disappointing, fashion.
—Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2024
Center Isaiah Jackson had seven, and everyone who took the floor grabbed at least one.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Jan. 2024
The Badgers took the floor Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center against Rutgers, the last-place team in the Big Ten that has been playing short-handed due to injuries.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
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 7 Jul. 2024.
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