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
The riparian habitat, where plants like willows and mule fat grow along the creeks and rivers, could take five to 10 years.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The film, a distressing tale about a man caring for a child in a dystopian industrial setting, took five years to complete, finally appearing in 1977.
—News Desk, Artforum, 16 Jan. 2025
The film, which was released in 1977, took five years to make, with most of the filming taking place at the Greystone Mansion, in Beverly Hills, which was the headquarters of the American Film Institute, where Lynch had been living.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2025
The second image was taken five minutes after the first.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for take five 
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Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The film, a distressing tale about a man caring for a child in a dystopian industrial setting, took five years to complete, finally appearing in 1977.
—News Desk, Artforum, 16 Jan. 2025
The film, which was released in 1977, took five years to make, with most of the filming taking place at the Greystone Mansion, in Beverly Hills, which was the headquarters of the American Film Institute, where Lynch had been living.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2025
The second image was taken five minutes after the first.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for take five
Dictionary Entries Near take five
Cite this Entry
“Take five.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20five. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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