take on a life of its own
idiom
: to become very large, important, or hard to control
The story took on a life of its own and began to appear on news broadcasts everywhere.
Examples of take on a life of its own in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Hamm's phenomenon began to take on a life of its own, Ramirez said.
—
Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2021
Once a child-abuse pediatrician diagnoses abuse, that assessment can take on a life of its own in family court.
—Stephanie Clifford, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2020
Be careful -- digging a deep rabbit hole has the potential to take on a life of its own!
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2023
The biosphere tells us that once life appears in a world, that world can take on a life of its own.
—Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022
The bills demonstrate how disinformation can take on a life of its own, forming a feedback loop that shapes policy for years to come.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 13 May 2021
But in the weeks that followed, the DAN jailbreak began to take on a life of its own.
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2023
But his spectacular inheritance seemed to take on a life of its own and turn against him.
—Alex Traub, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Feb. 2023
In this delightfully bonkers sci-fi horror thriller, a robotics engineer (Allison Williams) at a toy company builds a lifelike doll (played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis) that begins to take on a life of its own.
—Dallas News, 5 Jan. 2023
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.
Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2021
Once a child-abuse pediatrician diagnoses abuse, that assessment can take on a life of its own in family court.
—Stephanie Clifford, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2020
Be careful -- digging a deep rabbit hole has the potential to take on a life of its own!
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2023
The biosphere tells us that once life appears in a world, that world can take on a life of its own.
—Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022
The bills demonstrate how disinformation can take on a life of its own, forming a feedback loop that shapes policy for years to come.
—Maggie Astor, New York Times, 13 May 2021
But in the weeks that followed, the DAN jailbreak began to take on a life of its own.
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2023
But his spectacular inheritance seemed to take on a life of its own and turn against him.
—Alex Traub, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Feb. 2023
In this delightfully bonkers sci-fi horror thriller, a robotics engineer (Allison Williams) at a toy company builds a lifelike doll (played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis) that begins to take on a life of its own.
—Dallas News, 5 Jan. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near take on a life of its own
Cite this Entry
“Take on a life of its own.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20on%20a%20life%20of%20its%20own. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share