zauzimati

1. (of space, time) to take up; to occupy
   Ovaj orman zauzima pola sobe. — This wardrobe takes up half the room.
   Posao mi zauzima skoro sve vreme. — Work takes up almost all my time.
2. (of a post, rank) to hold; to occupy
   On zauzima mesto direktora već pet godina. — He has held the post of director for five years.
   Tim trenutno zauzima treće mesto na tabeli. — The team is currently in third place in the table.
3. (of an opinion) to take a stance
   Vlada zauzima jasan stav o tom pitanju. — The government takes a clear stance on that issue.
4. (in war) to capture; to seize
   Vojska je danima zauzimala sela oko grada. — For days the army was capturing the villages around the city.
5. (zauzimati se za + acc.) to stand up for; to advocate
   Ona se uvek zauzima za slabije. — She always stands up for the weaker ones.
   Udruženje se zauzima za prava radnika. — The association advocates for workers' rights.

In the sense "stand up for" it takes se and za + acc.: zauzimati se za nekoga.