give up
verb
gave up; given up; giving up; gives up
1
: to yield control or possession of : surrender
forced to give up his job
2
: to desist from : abandon
refused to give up her efforts
3
: to declare incurable or insoluble
4
a
: to abandon (oneself) to a particular feeling, influence, or activity
gave himself up to despair
b
: to devote to a particular purpose or use
5
: to despair of seeing
we'd given you up
6
: to allow (a hit or run in baseball) while pitching
: to cease doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat : quit
—often used with on
don't give up on the project
see also:
Examples of give up in a Sentence
was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment
I hope you won't give up playing the piano.
Recent Examples on the Web
Roki Sasaki dominated early, facing one over the minimum through five innings, before giving up back-to-back homers to Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso.
—
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Petersen pitched a scoreless fifth before giving up the home run in the sixth.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 June 2026
As the Bucks dragged their feet on the Antetokounmpo situation, a number of other teams gave up on the season entirely.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Sherpa himself had nearly given up hope of rescue, until an avalanche thundered into the 25-foot deep ice crack, filling it with snow and creating a route to freedom.
—CBS News, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for give up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Petersen pitched a scoreless fifth before giving up the home run in the sixth.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 June 2026
As the Bucks dragged their feet on the Antetokounmpo situation, a number of other teams gave up on the season entirely.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Sherpa himself had nearly given up hope of rescue, until an avalanche thundered into the 25-foot deep ice crack, filling it with snow and creating a route to freedom.
—CBS News, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for give up
Cite this Entry
“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
