From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtake the place of somebody/somethingtake the place of somebody/something (also take somebody’s/something’s place)INSTEAD to exist or be used instead of someone or something else SYN replace Natural methods of pest control are now taking the place of chemicals. I had to find someone to take Jenny’s place. → place
Examples from the Corpus
take the place of somebody/something• I don't think anyone could take her place.• Sending e-mail has almost taken the place of writing letters.• Other hopes have centred on ethanol taking the place of petroleum - but fuel crops must not displace food.• Explain that the marbles have taken the place of the water that has spilled out.• On home-baked brown bread it takes the place of butter.• Rigid rules and patterns take the place of more flexible thinking about feelings.• Hops have also been stuffed into pillows, taking the place of down to help induce sleep.• They found out other marvellous arts to take the place of tricks and old stories.• It connoted a rational, efficient method of organization-something to take the place of the arbitrary exercise of power by authoritarian regimes.• Finally, teachers are prohibited from making a copy of works to take the place of an anthology. 