INDEX:
1. to take part in an event, activity, discussion etc
2. to start taking part
3. to take part in a competition, exam, course etc
4. to arrange for someone to take part in a competition, exam etc
5. to get involved with something you did not want to get involved in
6. to make someone take part in something
7. to know about something secret or dishonest and take part in it
8. someone who takes part in something
9. to not take part in something
10. to not let someone take part
11. when you do not want to take part in something
RELATED WORDS
to join a club, organization etc : ↑ JOIN
to try and influence a situation that you should not be involved in : ↑ INTERFERE
see also
↑ JOIN
↑ DO/NOT DO
↑ INCLUDE/NOT INCLUDE
◆◆◆
1. to take part in an event, activity, discussion etc
▷ take part /ˌteɪk ˈpɑːʳt/ [verb phrase]
▪ She wanted to take part but she was too ill.
▪ The program teaches children about conservation, and about 30 schools are taking part.
take part in
▪ Nearly 500 teams took part in the competition.
▪ Police have arrested a number of people who took part in the riot.
▪ She was asked to take part in a TV debate on drugs.
take an active/leading part
▪ John has taken an active part in getting artists together for the festival.
▷ be involved /biː ɪnˈvɒlvdǁ-ˈvɑːlvd/ [verb phrase]
to take part in an activity with a small number of other people, often something bad or illegal :
▪ Choosing a school is an important decision, and both parents ought to be involved.
be involved in
▪ At least three politicians are involved in the scandal.
▪ The two men have denied being involved in Troy’s kidnapping and murder.
▪ Roughly two-thirds of high school students are involved in volunteer community work.
▷ participate /pɑːʳˈtɪsɪpeɪt, pɑːʳˈtɪsəpeɪt/ [intransitive verb] formal
to take part in an activity, especially an organized activity :
▪ There are regular class discussions, but some of the students never participate.
▪ Being a spectator wasn’t as enjoyable as participating.
participate in
▪ Over 300 local firms participated in the survey.
▪ Members can participate in any of the trips organized by the club.
▪ Our employees are encouraged to participate in the decision making process.
participation /pɑːʳˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃ ə n, pɑːʳˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
when people participate :
▪ The play was produced for children and encourages audience participation.
participate in
▪ Our partners are demanding full participation in the decision-making process.
▷ play a part/role /ˌpleɪ ə ˈpɑːʳt, ˈrəʊl/ [verb phrase]
to take part in some way in an activity or piece of work, especially one which has a useful result or purpose :
▪ Our goal is to make sure everyone plays a part and shares in the credit.
▪ Although the budget committees guide Congress’s actions on spending, every committee plays a role.
play a part/role in
▪ Hart clearly played a role in the decision to change admission standards.
▪ Together with the police everyone can play a part in improving the security of their neighborhood.
play an active/large/important etc part/role
▪ Men now play a larger part in looking after their children.
▪ The most effective learning occurs when the child is allowed to play a more active role in the learning process.
▪ The Secretary of State played a leading role in the government’s successful foreign policy.
▪ Schneider played a key role in getting the organization started.
▷ be active in /biː ˈæktɪv ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to actively take part in the work of an organization such as a political group or church :
▪ He is very active in the church’s work with homeless people.
▪ In school I was very active in sports and student government.
▪ Allen, who is still on the board, is no longer active in the day-to-day management of the company.
▷ contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to actively take part in a group discussion or group activity, especially by giving your opinions and ideas :
▪ When we have class debates we try and get all the kids to contribute.
▪ During the discussions MacDonald seemed to be listening, but he had nothing to contribute.
contribute ideas/suggestions etc
▪ Readers are invited to contribute their opinions on any of the issues discussed here.
▷ appear on /əˈpɪər ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to take part in a TV or radio programme :
▪ Forbes appeared on ‘Meet the Press’ to discuss recent political developments.
▪ He has often appeared on the BBC sports programme ‘A Question of Sport’.
appearance [countable noun]
▪ The six-year-old’s talents earned him an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.
▷ be engaged in /biː ɪnˈgeɪdʒd ɪn/ [verb phrase] formal
to be taking part in an activity, a conversation etc, especially one that continues for a long period of time :
▪ The Nationalists have been engaged in a bitter fifteen-year armed struggle for independence.
▪ During dinner I found myself engaged in a long complicated discussion with the doctor’s wife.
▷ hands-on /ˌhændz ˈɒn◂/ [adjective usually before noun]
involving doing or learning about something by taking part in it yourself, rather than just watching, reading about it, or hearing about it from someone else :
▪ The training programs give students practical hands-on experience.
▪ The exhibit includes numerous hands-on activities, including several archaeological dig stations.
▪ Mr Garvey is known as a hands-on manager with an in-depth knowledge of the whole company.
2. to start taking part
▷ join in /ˌdʒɔɪn ˈɪn/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to start taking part in something that other people are already doing, especially something enjoyable such as a game, or a song :
▪ When we get to the chorus I want everybody to join in!
▪ James joined in the discussion to say that he agreed with what had been said.
join in something
▪ We all wanted to join in the fun.
join in with
▪ As a child, I was too shy to join in with the other children’s games.
▷ get involved /ˌget ɪnˈvɒlvdǁ-ˈvɑːlvd/ [verb phrase]
to start to take part in something, often something that will cause you problems or take a lot of your time :
▪ It’s a private matter between the two of them, and I don’t think we should get involved.
get involved in
▪ When did Anderson first get involved in local politics?
▪ I don’t want to get involved in an argument with you on the phone.
▪ The US seemed unwilling to get involved in another war.
▷ get in on the act /get ˌɪn ɒn ði ˈækt/ [verb phrase] informal
to start to take part in something that is already successful, especially a new type of business that other companies are already involved in :
▪ Now that our exporting business to Eastern Europe has grown so successful, everyone wants to get in on the act.
▪ Movie theater chains are expanding rapidly, and even small local theaters are getting in on the act.
▷ jump/climb/hop/get on the bandwagon /ˌdʒʌmp, ˌklaɪm, ˌhɒp, get ɒn ðə ˈbændwægənǁˌhɑːp-/ [verb phrase] informal
to start to take part in an activity because a lot of other people are doing it and not necessarily because you believe in it :
▪ More and more Republicans are hopping on the tax bandwagon to attract more voters.
▪ Critics of the government’s environmental policies say it has simply jumped on the bandwagon and has not done anything serious to fight pollution.
▷ muscle in on /ˌmʌs ə l ˈɪn ɒn/ [transitive verb] informal
to deliberately interfere in a plan, activity etc that other people are organizing so that you can have some of the advantages of that situation :
▪ I’m not going to let Jim muscle in on this deal - let him do his own negotiations.
▪ Two men were killed when members of a rival gang tried to muscle in on their territory.
▷ get/enter into the spirit /ˌget, ˌentər ɪntə ðə ˈspɪrə̇t/ [verb phrase]
to relax and take part in a party, celebration, or special occasion :
▪ This year Pat decided to get into the spirit and decorate her house for Halloween.
▪ Although Mark felt depressed he did his best to enter into the spirit for Julie’s sake.
get/enter into the spirit of
▪ You’ll enjoy yourself much more if you just relax and try to get into the spirit of the occasion.
3. to take part in a competition, exam, course etc
▷ compete/take part /kəmˈpiːt, ˌteɪk ˈpɑːʳt/ [intransitive verb/verb phrase]
to take part in a competition or race :
▪ Only cars over 50 years old are allowed to compete.
▪ The competition was a great success. Nearly two hundred people took part.
compete/take part in
▪ How many runners will be competing in the marathon?
▪ Please contact Debbie if you would like to take part in the charity swim.
▷ enter also go in for something British /ˌentəʳ, ˌgəʊ ˈɪn fəʳ something/ [intransitive/transitive verb or transitive phrasal verb]
to say that you will take part in a competition or race, for example by putting your name on a list :
▪ Only students under 18 can enter.
▪ Dad says he’s going in for the talent contest.
▪ Jay and Cindy entered the dance competition for fun - they had no idea they would win.
▪ We went in for the crossword competition and won twenty-five pounds.
▷ sign up /ˌsaɪn ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to arrange to take part in a course of study by signing an agreement :
▪ Did you sign up yet? The course starts in two weeks, you know.
sign up for
▪ Gary can’t find a job, so he’s signed up for Unemployment Training.
sign up to do something
▪ I signed up to take an art class just to get out of the house in the evenings.
▷ enrol British /enroll American /ɪnˈrəʊl/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to formally arrange to take part in a course of study :
▪ The course is very popular, so it’s best to enrol as soon as possible.
enrol on British /+ in American
▪ I’d like to enrol on the German course, please.
▪ Bill enrolled in a four-year teacher-training course in Albany.
enrol for
British
▪ That year Sam enroled for law studies in Cape Town.
enrolment British /enrollment American [uncountable noun]
▪ Enrollment will take place tomorrow in the main hall between 10:00 and 5:00.
4. to arrange for someone to take part in a competition, exam etc
▷ enter /ˈentəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to arrange for a person or animal to take part in a competition, race, or examination :
enter somebody/something in something
▪ Your cats are beautiful, have you ever entered them in a cat show?
▪ As part of his training program, Lauck has been entered in Sunday’s race.
enter somebody/something for something
▪ Eight horses were entered for the first race.
▷ put somebody’s name down/put somebody down /ˌpʊt somebodyˈs ˈneɪm ˌdaʊn, ˌpʊt somebody ˈdaʊn/ [verb phrase/transitive phrasal verb]
to arrange for someone to take part in an organized activity by writing their name on a list :
▪ If you think Stan would be willing to look after the kids, put his name down.
put sb’s name down/put sb down for
▪ Put Nancy and her husband down for the banquet - I know they’re planning to come.
put sb’s name down/put sb down to do something
▪ Can we put you down to help with refreshments, Carol?
▷ enrol British /enroll American /ɪnˈrəʊl/ [transitive verb]
to formally arrange for someone to take part in a course of study :
enrol on British /+ in
American
▪ His parents enrolled him in a military academy when he was only 8.
▪ Anybody who has not yet been enrolled on the English course should contact the tutor.
5. to get involved with something you did not want to get involved in
▷ get caught up in /get ˌkɔːt ˈʌp ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to get involved in something dangerous, unpleasant, or illegal, without wanting to or intending to do this :
▪ I don’t want to get caught up in some petty argument with you.
▪ It is easy for young people to get caught up in crime when there are so few jobs.
▪ One unlucky group of American tourists got caught up in the country’s civil war.
▷ get drawn into /get ˌdrɔːn ˈɪntuː/ [verb phrase]
to gradually be persuaded to get involved in something that you did not intend to get involved in :
▪ U.N. peacekeepers have gotten drawn into the fighting they were trying to prevent.
▪ Children who end up on the street are likely to get drawn into prostitution and petty crime.
▷ get/become embroiled in /ˌget, bɪˌkʌm ɪmˈbrɔɪld ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to get involved in a long and complicated discussion, argument, or struggle which you do not want to get involved in :
▪ The airline became embroiled in a six-month battle with the pilots’ union.
▪ I don’t want to get embroiled in some endless argument over money.
6. to make someone take part in something
▷ involve /ɪnˈvɒlvǁɪnˈvɑːlv/ [transitive verb]
to ask or encourage someone to take part in something, especially by encouraging them to do this :
▪ I always try to involve the whole class.
involve somebody in something
▪ A good manager will try to involve everyone in the decision-making process.
▪ The school has gained improved exam results by involving parents more in their children’s education.
▷ drag somebody into /ˌdræg somebody ˈɪntuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make someone become involved in a situation that they do not want to become involved in, for example an argument or a problem :
▪ Don’t go dragging me into your silly family arguments - sort it out yourself.
▪ UN troops run the risk of being dragged into local policing problems.
▷ bring in /ˌbrɪŋ ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to involve someone in an activity that they were not involved in before, especially so that they can provide help or advice :
bring in somebody
▪ The President brought in Ken Khachigian to write a speech for the occasion.
▪ The Japanese technicians were brought in because of their expertise in electronics.
bring somebody in
▪ I don’t think there’s any need to bring the police in until we’re sure the money is missing.
7. to know about something secret or dishonest and take part in it
▷ be in on /biː ˈɪn ɒn/ [transitive verb] informal
to take part in or know all about an illegal or secret activity :
▪ Is it true that the Chief of Police was in on the cover-up?
▪ Jones denies being in on the plan to blow up the building.
▪ He didn’t have a clue about the surprise party, but everyone in the office was in on it.
▷ be (a) party to /biː (ə) ˈpɑːʳti tuː/ [verb phrase] formal
to take part in something which is illegal or wrong :
▪ My clients do not want to be party to tax evasion.
▪ Prosecutors proved she was in the house and was a party to the murder.
▷ have a hand in (doing) something /hæv ə ˌhænd ɪn (ˈduːɪŋ) something/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to be in some way secretly involved in something and be partly responsible for its results :
▪ He is a member of one of the extremist groups that may have had a hand in the murder.
▪ Do they suspect the government of having a hand in it?
▪ My father may have had a hand in getting me the job.
▷ collude /kəˈ;uːd/ [intransitive verb]
to know about and encourage something wrong that someone else is doing :
collude in
▪ How far can women be said to be colluding in their own lower employment status?
collude with
▪ There have been accusations that the prime minister secretly colluded with the leaders of the regime.
8. someone who takes part in something
▷ participant /pɑːʳˈtɪsɪpənt, pɑːʳˈtɪsəpənt/ [countable noun] formal
someone who takes part in an organized event or activity :
▪ This summer’s children’s art program had 14 participants.
▪ At the end of the conference, all the participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire.
participant in
▪ Reyes is an active participant in the protest movement.
▷ competitor /kəmˈpetɪtəʳ, kəmˈpetətəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who takes part in a race, game, or competition :
▪ One of the competitors hurt her leg during the race.
▪ Twenty-seven competitors from around the country will take part in Sunday’s monster truck rally.
▷ entrant /ˈentrənt/ [countable noun] formal
someone who takes part in a competition :
▪ Davis was selected from 200,000 entrants to win the trip to the Super Bowl.
▪ The winning entrant will receive a scholarship to the famous college of art and a year’s supply of artist’s materials.
▷ contestant /kənˈtest ə nt/ [countable noun]
someone who takes part in a competition or game, especially one that is judged by a group of judges :
▪ Suzanne was a beauty-queen contestant in college.
▪ The questions that contestants must answer get more difficult as the game goes on.
▷ entry /ˈentri/ [countable noun]
the piece of work or answer which someone has sent to be judged in a competition :
▪ All entries for the contest must be received by September 11.
▪ Her entry in the ‘Funniest Photo Contest’ won third prize.
▪ Organizers of the Lawson short story competition have received over 100,000 entries.
▷ involved /ɪnˈvɒlvdǁɪnˈvɑːlvd/ [adjective only after noun]
the people involved are the people who are taking part or who took part in an activity or event :
▪ In court she gave evidence about her torture, naming the officers involved.
▪ Most of the people involved have by now either died or moved away.
▪ Following the riots, the university promised to discipline all those involved.
▷ player /ˈpleɪəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who takes part in a game :
▪ Up to six players can play this game on-line.
▪ It’s now the turn of player number three.
▪
9. to not take part in something
▷ not take part/not participate /nɒt teɪk ˈpɑːʳt, nɒt pɑːʳˈtɪsə̇peɪt/ [verb phrase]
▪ The President was invited to appear on the program but decided not to take part.
▪ We tried to include Reggie in the conversation, but he didn’t participate.
not take part/not participate in
▪ Party leaders have said they will not take part in the election.
▪ She said that she didn’t participate in the games because her shoulder was sore.
▷ take/have/play no part in /ˌteɪk, ˌhæv, ˌpleɪ nəʊ ˈpɑːʳt ɪn/ [verb phrase] formal
to deliberately not take part in something, because you disagree with it or think it is wrong :
▪ They were pacifists and would take no part in the war.
▪ Jen would have no part in forcing Gwen out of her job.
▪ I played no part in leaking the information to the press.
▷ withdraw /wɪðˈdrɔː, wɪθ-/ [intransitive verb]
to decide not to take part in a competition, race, discussion etc, which you previously agreed to take part in :
▪ Bower was leading in the polls, but he withdrew when the scandal hit the press.
withdraw from
▪ Clare had to withdraw from the race after injuring her knee.
▪ It will be very sad if Jordan withdraws from politics altogether.
▷ pull/drop out /ˌpʊl, ˌdrɒp ˈaʊtǁˌdrɑːp-/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to suddenly decide not to take part in something, that has already started or is about to start, especially when this causes problems :
▪ The show was cancelled when the star unexpectedly pulled out.
▪ By the end of the semester about half of the students had dropped out.
pull/drop out of
▪ It’s too late to pull out of the agreement now.
▪ Most of the other Democratic candidates had already dropped out of the presidential race.
▷ opt out /ˌɒpt ˈaʊtǁˌɑːpt-/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to decide not to take part in an official system, especially one that has not started yet :
▪ Employees who do not wish to be part of the company’s healthcare program can opt out if they want to.
opt out of
▪ The treaty gave Britain the right to opt out of the single European currency system.
▷ have nothing to do with /hæv ˌnʌθɪŋ tə ˈduː wɪð/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to not be involved in any way in something bad or illegal - use this especially when other people think that you were involved :
▪ I’m sure that Tony had nothing to do with the robbery.
▪ Connie had nothing to do with the break-up of my marriage.
▪ The editor pointed out that he had nothing to do with the discredited advertising campaign.
▷ take no further part in /teɪk ˌnəʊ fɜːʳðəʳ ˈpɑːʳt ɪn/ [verb phrase]
to stop taking part in something that you were actively involved in before :
▪ Lineker was injured and took no further part in the game.
▪ Schmidt’s lawyer said that he would take no further part in the trial.
▷ armchair /ˈɑːʳmtʃeəʳ, ˌɑːʳmˈtʃeəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
an armchair critic, sportsman, revolutionary etc is someone who does not take part in politics, sport etc but who reads a lot about it or watches it on television, especially someone who thinks they know better than the people doing it and is ready to give them advice :
▪ It’s very easy to be an armchair critic but much harder to come up with solutions that will work.
▪ Armchair travellers can now visit the world’s most exotic countries via the Internet.
▪ Like most armchair sportsmen, Terry is sure he understands the game better than the referees.
▷ on the sidelines /ɒn ðə ˈsaɪdlaɪnz/ [adverb]
if you stay, sit, or wait on the sidelines when something is happening, you do not take part in it, even though you may want to or should do :
▪ You can’t just wait on the sidelines and hope things will improve.
▪ How can we sit on the sidelines when thousands of innocent civilians are being killed.
10. to not let someone take part
▷ leave out /ˌliːv ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to not include someone in an activity or in a group :
leave somebody out
▪ I can’t believe she invited everyone else in the office and left me out.
leave out somebody
▪ We meant to include everyone, but we accidentally left out three members.
leave somebody out of something
▪ Her husband was always leaving her out of his plans.
▷ exclude /ɪkˈskluːd/ [transitive verb]
to prevent someone from taking part in an activity, or from joining a group :
▪ Joe felt sure the others were speaking Russian simply to exclude him.
exclude somebody from something
▪ The Catholic church continues to exclude women from the priesthood.
▪ Stack belongs to a country club that once excluded blacks and Jews from membership.
exclusion /ɪkˈskluːʒ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the exclusion of somebody from something
▪ The exclusion of minorities from the film industry is one of Hollywood’s dirty little secrets.
▷ drop /drɒpǁdrɑːp/ [transitive verb]
to decide that someone can no longer be in a team :
▪ He couldn’t run fast enough, so the coach dropped him.
drop somebody from something
▪ She was dropped from the badminton team because she missed practice too often.
11. when you do not want to take part in something
▷ want no part in British /want no part of something American /ˌwɒnt nəʊ ˈpɑːʳt ɪn, ˌwɒnt nəʊ ˈpɑːʳt əvǁˌwɑːnt-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to not want to take part at all in a plan or activity, especially because you disapprove of it :
▪ I want no part in the deal if drugs are involved.
▪ The Foundation’s conservative leadership made it clear it wanted no part of anything controversial.
▷ want nothing to do with /wɒnt ˌnʌθɪŋ tə ˈduː wɪð something ǁ wɑːnt-/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to not want to take part in or be involved with something, especially because you disapprove of it :
▪ ‘Is Robert going to help?’ ‘No, he wants nothing more to do with it.’
▪ A large part of the membership wants nothing to do with the protests and demonstrations.
▷ count/leave me out /ˌkaʊnt, ˌliːvː miː ˈaʊt/ [verb phrase] spoken
say this when you do not want to take part in something which has been suggested :
▪ If that’s what you’re going to do, you can count me out.
▪ Leave me out. I’d be crazy to get involved in something like that.
leave me out of it
▪ You two have to settle it between yourselves - leave me out of it.