Meanings
- informalCorrupt; receiving bribes or other improper payments.
Once there was this geezer called Smithy Robinson, who worked for Harry. It was rumoured that he was on the take.
1998, Guy Ritchie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, spoken by Bacon (Jason Statham)3 more examples
Recently after Washington officials were in Detroit, our chief told us they were sore because so many motor boats broke down and said some of the boys must be ‘on the take’ [accepting bribes].
1929 July 1, “National Affairs: War on Two Fronts”, in TimeThe investigation uncovered an agency overrun by greed, a crooked culture where bribes routinely doubled the $30,000 salaries of those on the take.
1997 April 24, Greg B. Smith, “Sting to Shaft Lift Inspectors”, in New York Daily NewsThe Prime Minister suggested that, realistically, it would take at least five years to purge corruption from a police force that is 200,000 strong. About 10 per cent of the force are assumed to be on the take.
2003 August 11, “Sex, bribes and publicity”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 17 Nov 2009
Cite this entry
on the take. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20take
“on the take.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20take. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on the take,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20take.
Source: on the take on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.