take root
idiomatic phrase
1
of a plant
: to grow and develop roots : to become rooted
… damage to the ecosystem makes it easier for nonnative plants … to take root and crowd out native vegetation.—
Mary K. Miller
Mary K. Miller2
: to become fixed or established
… providing the steadiness and resolve needed to ensure that civilizations can take root and flourish.—Greg Grandin
Greg GrandinA monstrous suspicion had begun to take root in his mind.—P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. WodehouseExamples of take root in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Invasive species make fires burn hotter and faster The heat also fuels wildfires in Arizona, already aggravated by invasive plant species that took root in the desert environment, creating grasslands that become tinder readied by the hot Arizona sun.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 21 June 2024
Gaza is an ungoverned space with parallel and competing authority structures taking root.
—Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2024
But the seeds Kate planted in CT’s brain have taken root.
—Molly Fitzpatrick, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024
Yet even while mindfulness began to take root as the West’s most common form of meditation through the end of the 20th century, a handful of teachers continued teaching the jhānas, often surreptitiously.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for take root 
Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 21 June 2024
Gaza is an ungoverned space with parallel and competing authority structures taking root.
—Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2024
But the seeds Kate planted in CT’s brain have taken root.
—Molly Fitzpatrick, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024
Yet even while mindfulness began to take root as the West’s most common form of meditation through the end of the 20th century, a handful of teachers continued teaching the jhānas, often surreptitiously.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for take root
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take root.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Take root.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20root. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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