take sides

verb

To ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

“I am not going to argue with you, and I am not going to take sides in this discussion.”

Similar
pick sideschoose sides
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Meanings

verbtake sides (third-person singular simple present takes sides, present participle taking sides, simple past took sides, past participle taken sides)

present singular third person takes sides · participle present taking sides · past took sides · participle past taken sides

  1. idiomaticTo ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

    I am not going to argue with you, and I am not going to take sides in this discussion.

    Synonyms: pick sides, choose sides

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo ally oneself with a given opinion, agenda or group; to support one side or viewpoint in a competition or confrontation.

Similar
pick sideschoose sides
Also see
pick sides

Translations

Arabic اتّخذ طرفًا
  • اتّخذ طرفًاto join in a confrontation
Esperanto partianiĝi
  • partianiĝito join in a confrontation
Finnish valita puolta, ottaa kantaa
  • valita puoltato join in a confrontation
  • ottaa kantaato join in a confrontation
French prendre parti
  • prendre partito join in a confrontation
German Partei ergreifen, auf eine Seite schlagen
  • Partei ergreifento join in a confrontation
  • auf eine Seite schlagento join in a confrontation
Polish opowiadać się, zajmować stanowisko
  • opowiadać sięto join in a confrontation
  • zajmować stanowiskoto join in a confrontation
  • zająć stanowiskoto join in a confrontation
Spanish apartidarse
  • apartidarseto join in a confrontation
Thai เข้าข้าง
  • เข้าข้าง (kâo-kâang)to join in a confrontation
Cite this entry
APA

take sides. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20sides

MLA

“take sides.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20sides. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take sides,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20sides.

Source: take sides on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.