TOOK EFFECT Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

took effect

phrase

past tense of take effect

as in worked

to produce a desired effect You'll feel better once the medication takes effect.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of took effect The contract took effect on September 25, with completion scheduled for the end of April. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026 Saturday marks a year since a fragile ceasefire took effect, while Israeli strikes continue. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. — Joseph Krauss, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 An amendment to the state’s Live Local Act that took effect in July allows developers to build workforce housing on government land in a bid to tackle the state’s shortage of affordable housing. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 Similar tariffs on drones took effect last month, following a ban on new models in December. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 The law, which initially took effect July 1, allows individuals convicted of other misdemeanors and some nonviolent felonies to petition the court to seal their records. — Liam Bowman, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026 Since those market shifts took effect, Apple has adjusted its prices, raising the cost of the M3 Ultra Mac Studio. — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 Both appointments took effect immediately, expanding the board from seven directors to nine. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for took effect

took hold

Phrase

Average tariff rates continued to fall the ensuing months, but made a reversal in August as the Section 301 duties took hold.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
As the industrial age took hold, geometry continued to show force in the colonial infantries abroad and through isomorphic police squadrons that fit neatly into modernizing city blocks patrolled back home.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of took hold

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took down

took effect

took exception

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“Took effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/took%20effect. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of took effect

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