take someone at their word – Wiktionary
English
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Verb
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take someone at their word (third-person singular simple present takes someone at their word, present participle taking someone at their word, simple past took someone at their word, past participle taken someone at their word)
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To take someone literally even though they may not have been serious; to take someone seriously even though they were joking; to take up a challenge that was initially meant as a joke.
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To take someone’s word for it, to believe someone without having the means to check that what they said is true.
Translations
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See also
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Further reading
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