Meaning & use
take credit
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiom
to accept praise or recognition for something you have done
Grammar: Often followed by 'for' plus a noun or -ing form: take credit for the win.
Patterns
- take credit for something
- take credit for doing something
She took credit for organizing the whole event.
He never takes credit for his team's success.
The company took credit for the new design.
phraseidiomdisapproving
to claim that you are responsible for something, often when you are not
Grammar: Often used with 'the': take the credit for something.
Patterns
- take the credit for something
- take the credit for doing something
He took the credit for my idea.
Don't let her take the credit for work she didn't do.
They took the credit for a discovery made by another lab.
Common combinations
- take credit for
- She took credit for the increase in sales.
- take the credit
- He always takes the credit when things go well.
- take full credit
- The manager took full credit for the team's success.
- take credit where it is due
- I'll take credit where it is due, but the team did most of the work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- claim credit
- Very similar, but often suggests a stronger or more public assertion of responsibility.
- accept praise
- Focuses on receiving kind words rather than on the act of claiming responsibility.
Opposites
Commonly confused: take credit or give credit?
take credit vs give credit
Means to praise or acknowledge someone else, not to accept praise yourself.
Practice
She worked hard on the project, but her boss ______ for its success.
Choose one answer.
'Took credit' means the boss accepted praise for the success. 'Gave credit' would mean he praised someone else, which does not fit the meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take credit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.