take sides
Pick a team
To take sides is to align with one party in a dispute or conflict, rather than remaining neutral: I'm not going to take sides between you and your sister.
The phrase often carries slight disapproval, implying favoritism or refusal to consider both perspectives fairly: The media shouldn't take sides in political debates.
- polarizeSplit into opposition
- us versus themPolarized group opposition
- draw a lineEstablish a boundary point
- alignArrange in a row
- factionalismDivision into opposing cliques
favor · play favorites · ally · join forces · partisanship · sworn enemies · oppose · supporting · solidarity · team player · fence-sitter · choose · loyalty · coalition · party · team · champion · stance
- support verbsback, support, advocate, defend, endorse
- protest sloganssi se puede, enough is enough, rise up, resist, ban the bomb
- conflictclash, fight, war, battle, dispute
take sidessit on the fence
Avoid committing either way
fence-sit · hedge · abstain · equivocate · waffle
take sidesstand apart
Be noticeably different
disengage · abstain · withdraw · keep one's distance · opt out
take, side, taken, taking, sideways, overtake, sides, takes, undertake