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take one up

B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To say 'yes' to an offer someone made to you.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic informal

To accept an offer or invitation that was previously made.

"You offered to cook dinner next time I visited — I'm going to take you up on that."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic informal

To accept a challenge or dare.

"He said nobody could beat him at chess, so I took him up on it — and won."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

This is a contracted form of 'take someone up on something.' Most naturally used in informal speech. The full form 'I'll take you up on that' is more common in written English.

Commonly used with

offer bet invitation challenge proposal suggestion

Forms

Base
take one up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
takes one up
he/she/it
Past simple
took one up
yesterday
Past participle
taken one up
have + pp
-ing form
taking one up
continuous

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Synonyms

accept the offer take someone up on it say yes to go for it

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