Students urged the university to take a stand for free speech.
The workers decided to take a stand against unsafe conditions.
She took a stand on housing policy even when donors objected.
It is easier to complain privately than to take a stand in public.
The board refused to take a stand until the report was public.
Similar words
speak out
stand firm
plant your flag
hold firm
make a stand
take a position
Meanings
Adopt and defend a firm position
civic life
neutral
To state or show a clear position on an issue and be willing to defend it, especially when the issue is disputed or morally important.
Examples
The workers decided to take a stand against unsafe conditions.
She took a stand on housing policy even when donors objected.
The board refused to take a stand until the report was public.
Students urged the university to take a stand for free speech.
It is easier to complain privately than to take a stand in public.
Similar words
take a position
make a stand
speak out
stand firm
hold firm
plant your flag
Etymology
The idiom draws on stand in the sense of holding one's ground, especially in military or defensive contexts. Dictionary.com dates the idiom to the mid-1800s.
FAQ
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Jade Gibbon
Aug 14
my favourite cousin of this is 'stand up and be counted'... very union leaflet energy
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Hazel Loon
Aug 10
'Take your stand' has a different flavour from 'take a stand'. It feels older, religious, or dramatic, like now choose your side, so I wouldn't put it in normal office email unless I wanted that tone.
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Stellar Walrus
Aug 12
church camp phrase, 100%
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Solid Eagle
Aug 4
Preposition warning. You take a stand on an issue or against a proposal. For a person, 'stand up for Maya' sounds much more normal than 'take a stand for Maya' unless Maya is basically the cause.
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Midnight Beaver
Aug 6
yes, 'take a stand for Maya' makes her sound like a political campaign
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Neat Yak
Jul 29
For rights, I would usually say 'stand up for our rights', not 'take a stand for our rights'. The second is possible, but it sounds more like a campaign slogan or a public decision.
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Happy Dingo
Jul 31
This one confused me too, because in Hindi we dont have the article habit.
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Quick Capybara
Jul 27
I wouldnt teach 'make a stand' as a clean synonym. To my ear you make a stand when there is pushback, like refusing to move or stepping in. 'Take a stance' can be just the line a party puts in a document.
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Plucky Sandpiper
Jul 28
same, stance is very policy paper to me
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Steady Dingo
Jul 22
heard this in product meetings a lot. 'we need to take a stand on the API shape' just means stop keeping both options alive. no protest march, but still firmer than 'I kind of prefer A'
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Scarlet Coyote
Jul 27
yep, heard it in design review, zero moral drama involved