1.
If you ~ a job or responsibility, especially a difficult one, you accept it.
No other organisation was able or willing to ~ the job...
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron)
2.
If something takes on a new appearance or quality, it develops that appearance or quality.
Believing he had only a year to live, his writing took on a feverish intensity.
= assume
PHRASAL VERB: no passive, V P n (not pron)
3.
If a vehicle such as a bus or ship takes on passengers, goods, or fuel, it stops in order to allow them to get on or to be loaded on.
This is a brief stop to ~ passengers and water.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron)
4.
If you take someone on, you employ them to do a job.
He’s spoken to a publishing firm. They’re going to take him on...
The party has been taking on staff, including temporary organisers.
PHRASAL VERB: V n P, V P n (not pron)
5.
If you take someone on, you fight them or compete against them, especially when they are bigger or more powerful than you are.
Democrats were reluctant to ~ a president whose popularity ratings were historically high...
I knew I couldn’t take him on.
PHRASAL VERB: no passive, V P n (not pron), V n P
6.
If you take something on or upon yourself, you decide to do it without asking anyone for permission or approval.
Knox had taken it on himself to choose the wine...
He took upon himself the responsibility for protecting her...
The President absolved his officers and took the blame upon himself.
PHRASAL VERB: no passive, V it P pron-refl to-inf, V P pron-refl n, V n P pron-refl