take a/its toll
idiom
: to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something : to cause harm or damage
If you keep working so hard, the stress will eventually take its toll.
—often + onToo much sunlight can take a (heavy) toll on your skin.
Her illness has taken a toll on her marriage.
Examples of take a/its toll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Decades of grinding up food take a toll on the teeth.
—
Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2025
Injuries and suspensions have dogged them and are starting to take a toll.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
But winter illnesses seem to take a toll on nearly everyone.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
She was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder in high school; childhood traumas are proven to take a toll on mental health.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for take a/its toll 
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Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2025
Injuries and suspensions have dogged them and are starting to take a toll.
—James McNicholas, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
But winter illnesses seem to take a toll on nearly everyone.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
She was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder in high school; childhood traumas are proven to take a toll on mental health.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for take a/its toll
Dictionary Entries Near take a/its toll
Cite this Entry
“Take a/its toll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%2Fits%20toll. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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