take to task

idiom
UK: /ˌteɪk tə ˈtɑːsk/
US: /ˌteɪk tə ˈtæsk/

  1. To criticize or reprimand someone for a mistake or something they have done wrong.

    1. The teacher will take him to task for not doing his homework.
    2. My boss took me to task for being late, even though it was only by five minutes.
take to task phrasal-verb

  1. To scold or rebuke somebody strongly.

    1. She took her son to task about his poor grades.
    2. The manager took the team to task after they lost the important game.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "take to task" is /ˌteɪk tə ˈtɑːsk/ in British English and /ˌteɪk tə ˈtæsk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "take to task": "The teacher will take him to task for not doing his homework.". More examples on the page.