Meanings
present singular third person takes control · participle present taking control · past took control · participle past taken control
- To assume control, to gain power over someone or something.
The Netherlands, who saw Denzel Dumfries' header hit the bar before the break, took control after the break and it required important interventions from keeper Jordan Pickford to keep England level.
2024 July 10, Phil McNulty, BBC Sport1 more example
She'd seen a doctor who’d prescribed Subutex, a drug-replacement treatment designed to wean the user off heroin. It had made her throw up. I was so relieved and told her how proud I was of her for taking control.
2013, Mitch Winehouse, Amy, My Daughter, London: Harper, →ISBN, page 120Synonyms: take charge, take command, take the reins
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo assume control, to gain power over someone or something.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek εἰς χεῖρας λαβεῖν
- εἰς χεῖρας λαβεῖν (eis kheîras labeîn)to assume control
Bulgarian грижа се за
- грижа се за (griža se za)to assume control
Chinese Mandarin 掛帥 /挂帅
- 掛帥 /挂帅 (guàshuài)to assume control
Finnish ottaa ohjat käsiinsä, ottaa johtoonsa
- ottaa ohjat käsiinsäto assume control
- ottaa johtoonsato assume control
- ottaa vastuulleento assume control
French prendre en charge, prendre la direction
- prendre en chargeto assume control
- prendre la directionto assume control
- prendre les rênesto assume control
German die Führung übernehmen, das Kommando übernehmen
- die Führung übernehmento assume control
- das Kommando übernehmento assume control
- die Zügel ergreifento assume control
Italian prendere le redini
- prendere le redinito assume control
Polish przejmować kontrolę, przejąć kontrolę
- przejmować kontrolęto assume control
- przejąć kontrolęto assume control
Portuguese tomar as rédeas, tomar conta
- tomar as rédeasto assume control
- tomar contato assume control
- assumir o controleto assume control
- assumir o controloto assume control
Russian взять под контроль, брать бразды́ правле́ния
- взять под контроль (vzjatʹ pod kontrolʹ)to assume control
- брать бразды́ правле́ния (bratʹ brazdý pravlénija)to assume control
Spanish tomar las riendas, hacerse cargo
- tomar las riendasto assume control
- hacerse cargoto assume control
Turkish dizginleri eline almak, ipleri eline almak
- dizginleri eline almakto assume control
- ipleri eline almakto assume control
Cite this entry
take control. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20control
“take control.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20control. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take control,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20control.
Source: take control on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.