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take off

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phrasal verb
Word Forms
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present tense
I/you/we/theytake off
he/she/ittakes off
present participletaking off
past tensetook off
past participletaken off
  1. 3
    [intransitive] to become successful or popular very fast

    Her business has really taken off.

  2. 4
    [transitive] take something off to have a particular amount of time away from work

    I'm taking Monday off to go to London.

    We haven't taken any time off since last summer.

  3. 5
    [intransitive] informal to leave a place suddenly

    As soon as she saw George arrive, she just took off.

  4. 6
    [transitive] informal to copy the way that someone speaks or behaves, in order to entertain people

    Beth can take off Judy Garland brilliantly.

See also main entry: take

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show a bit of ankle

… to reveal a small part of your intentions in order to attract support, without actually committing yourself to doing anything

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