Take a bow means to bow to the audience at the end of a performance. Figuratively, it's a way of praising someone for a success: Take a bow! means well done, this is your achievement. Nobody actually has to bow.
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take a bow; take a bow for + achievement; Take a bow!
- At the end of the concert, the orchestra stood up and took a bow.
- The whole team can take a bow for finishing the project two weeks early.
- You cooked dinner for twelve people on your own? Take a bow!
What changed
First versionWhen the music stopped, the dancers came forward and took bow.
RevisionWhen the music stopped, the dancers came forward and took a bow.
In this phrase bow is a noun, and one bow is a bow, so the article is needed: took a bow. Without a the sentence sounds ungrammatical. The correction adds a.
The verb bow simply means to bend forward, including as a greeting: In Japan people often bow when they say hello. Take a bow is specifically a bow to an audience or praise for an achievement. Bow in this sense rhymes with now, while bow meaning a ribbon knot or a weapon for shooting arrows rhymes with low.
Your turn
Sarah organised the whole conference by herself, so at the end her boss said, "___, Sarah — everyone loved it!"
Show the answer
Take a bow — The boss is praising Sarah for a great conference, so Take a bow, meaning well done, you've earned it. Take care means look after yourself; people say it when saying goodbye, not to praise someone.
Describe a performance you've seen. Say who performed and how the audience reacted at the end.
After the school concert, my daughter's choir took a bow, and all the parents stood up and clapped.
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