From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtake up/pick up the slacktake up/pick up the slacka) to make a system or organization as efficient as possible by making sure that money, space, or people are fully used Without another contract to help pick up the slack, employees may face job losses. b) INSTEADto do something that needs to be done because someone else is no longer doing it c) TIGHTto make a rope tighter → slack
