take up less time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "take up less time" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing efficiency or the duration of an activity or task in comparison to others. Example: "By implementing this new software, we hope to take up less time on data entry tasks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science & Research

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

RLAs tend to take up less time and are more efficient – excellent for county budgets and state election administrators alike.

Stanford University

Either they take up less time because you're better at it, or you hand them off to other people.

The New York Times

Virtual meetings also take up less time and are cheaper to attend, which makes them more accessible to early-career scientists and those in far-flung locations or with tight budgets.

Nature

Not only do these procedures take up less time, they are also non-invasion.

Forbes

Compared with grammar and vocabulary learning, actually practicing writing seems to take up less time in the current school system.

Functional Linguistics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The core-facility work takes up less time than one might assume.

Science Magazine

It made sense: An online auction opens up the bidding to a wider audience and takes up less time and space.

Forbes

According to McLaughlin, Hannity's interviews with Trump took up less time on the air than his interviews with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) or Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla).. Hannity has also given Trump two fewer interviews than Cruz, Mclaughlin wrote.

Huffington Post

Let your dog/dogs take up less of your time to show your parents you would have plenty of time to take care of a bunny/bunnies.

WikiHow

Thus, the DAQ aims to take up less mental processing time and effort, which is crucial during clinical assessment.

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Their biggest advantage is, of course, their brevity: They take up less space and time (for responding as well as data coding) and leave room for assessing additional constructs (Drolet & Morrison, 2001).

Assessment

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "take up less time" when comparing the duration of different methods or approaches. For example, "Virtual meetings often "take up less time" than in-person meetings".

Common error

Avoid using the phrase in overly passive constructions. Instead of saying "Less time will be taken up by...", opt for an active construction like "This will "take up less time"".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "take up less time" primarily functions as a comparative phrase used to indicate that a particular action, task, or process requires a shorter duration than another. Ludwig AI shows it is commonly used across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

24%

Wiki

22%

Less common in

Science & Research

12%

Academia

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "take up less time" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe something that requires a shorter duration compared to something else. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use across various contexts like News & Media, Science, and Wiki sources. When writing, it's helpful to use this phrase to highlight efficiency. For alternatives, consider "require less time" or "consume less time", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. Remember to use active voice to make your writing clear and impactful. While "take up less time" is versatile, ensure its usage fits the context to maintain clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

require less time

Focuses on the necessity aspect, highlighting that the activity needs a shorter duration.

consume less time

Emphasizes the action of using time, indicating that the activity uses up a smaller amount of time.

demand less time

Stresses the need for a shorter duration, implying the activity asks for less time commitment.

shorten the duration

Highlights the act of making something shorter in time.

reduce the time required

Combines the concepts of decreasing and needing time, providing a slightly more formal tone.

minimize time consumption

Focuses on the act of making time usage as small as possible, often used in technical contexts.

streamline the process

Suggests making a process more efficient, indirectly implying it will "take up less time".

optimize for speed

Indicates improvements made to increase speed, resulting in the activity "taking up less time".

accelerate the timeline

Implies speeding up a project or task, causing it to "take up less time" overall.

expedite the task

Highlights the urgency and quick completion of a task, making it "take up less time".

FAQs

What does it mean for something to "take up less time"?

When something "takes up less time", it means it requires a shorter duration to complete or perform compared to something else. It indicates greater efficiency or speed in completing a task.

How can I use "take up less time" in a sentence?

You can use it to compare two activities, methods, or processes. For example, "Using this new software will "require less time" than the old system", or "Virtual meetings "consume less time" because there's no travel involved."

What are some alternatives to "take up less time"?

Alternatives include "require less time", "consume less time", "demand less time", or "reduce the time required". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it better to say "take up less time" or "is less time-consuming"?

Both are correct, but "take up less time" directly compares the duration of an activity, whereas "is less time-consuming" describes a quality of the activity itself. Choose the phrasing that best fits the sentence's focus and flow.