take advantage of
idiomatic phrase
1
: to make good use of (something) : to profit by (something)
take advantage of an opportunity
We took advantage of the warm weather and did some yard work.
2
a
: to impose on (someone) : to ask for or expect more than is fair or reasonable from (someone)
After a while, I began to think she was taking advantage of me.
He felt like he'd been taken advantage of.
b
: to use (something or someone) unfairly for personal gain
He took advantage of [=exploited] my lack of experience.
It adds that young people in care homes, with learning disabilities, those excluded from school or using drugs or alcohol are particularly vulnerable to being targeted by people who take advantage of them for money, food or drugs.—
Stephen Naysmith
Stephen Naysmith
c
: to exploit (someone) sexually
The star shared her experiences of Hollywood bosses who tried to take advantage of her in the early days of her career.—The Belfast Telegraph Online
The Belfast Telegraph OnlineExamples of take advantage of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Certain players nevertheless took advantage of the opportunity to go pro after three seasons, including No. 1 picks Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
There's no word yet if this game takes advantage of the Switch 2’s DLSS features, which would be a great addition for high-fidelity gaming on the go.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Vietnam, a rising manufacturing powerhouse, has seen a surge in Chinese investments in recent years as manufactures move supply chains out of China to take advantage of lower labor costs and hedge against US levies.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
Over his nearly three decades in the industry, Vos has learned how to turn crises into opportunities: the 2008 financial crash, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, to name a few, all of which CTP survived and took advantage of to buy land for cheap and win new tenants.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
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Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
There's no word yet if this game takes advantage of the Switch 2’s DLSS features, which would be a great addition for high-fidelity gaming on the go.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Vietnam, a rising manufacturing powerhouse, has seen a surge in Chinese investments in recent years as manufactures move supply chains out of China to take advantage of lower labor costs and hedge against US levies.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
Over his nearly three decades in the industry, Vos has learned how to turn crises into opportunities: the 2008 financial crash, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, to name a few, all of which CTP survived and took advantage of to buy land for cheap and win new tenants.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take advantage of
Cite this Entry
“Take advantage of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20advantage%20of. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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