English Reference
Idiom idiom

whatever it takes


Anything, including measures which may be extreme or wrongful, that is required to achieve an objective.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I will finish this project, whatever it takes.

CONTEXTUAL

The team decided they would do whatever it takes to win the championship this year.

COMPLEX

Driven by an unwavering ambition, the entrepreneur vowed to do whatever it takes to secure the future of his struggling company.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    be taken ill

    To become ill.

  2. 02

    cross to take up

    Alternative form of cross to bear.

  3. 03

    forget to take one's medication this morning

    To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.

  4. 04

    get taken in

    To be fooled; to fall for.

  5. 05

    give and take

    A process of compromise or accommodation.

  6. 06

    give someone an inch and someone will take a mile

    Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

  7. 07

    have one's name taken

    To receive a yellow card.

  8. 08

    I take it

    Used to express one's understanding of another's position.

Last updated August 10, 2026