Take one for the team
Meaning
To make a personal sacrifice or endure a hardship for the benefit of a group or collective, rather than for personal gain.
Origin
The phrase 'take one for the team' echoes from the spirited fields of early 20th-century American team sports, particularly baseball and American football. Picture a batter in a crucial moment, deliberately allowing himself to be hit by a pitch to get on base, enduring a stinging bruise for the chance to score a run. Or envision a football player making a game-saving tackle that, while preventing a touchdown, leaves him winded and sore. These acts of personal sacrifice, where an individual endured physical discomfort or took on an unpopular task, weren't about personal glory but about advancing the collective goal. The idea of one player absorbing a 'hit' or a 'burden' for the greater good of the squad—often a literal impact on the field—cemented itself in the lexicon, moving swiftly from the locker room to broader everyday language as a powerful testament to selflessness.
Examples
- Even though she really wanted the promotion, she decided to take one for the team and let her less experienced colleague lead the project.
- He volunteered to work the undesirable late shift, knowing he was taking one for the team to ensure coverage for the busy weekend.