give up

verb

gave up; given up; giving up; gives up

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to cease doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat : quit
often used with on
don't give up on the project
Phrases
give up the ghost
: to cease to live or function : die

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
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.
Evangelicals believe that pressuring Israel to give up land will bring a curse on America. Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025 Trump makes good on pledge to restore ‘common sense’ and kill DEI The war ended in April 1865, yet rebelling states such as Texas weren’t ready to give up slavery, according to the museum. Mackenzie Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 16 June 2025 After giving up five runs and five hits in his final appearance for the Phillies, Ruiz had a scoreless inning in his Braves debut Tuesday at Milwaukee. David O'Brien, New York Times, 16 June 2025 And Orlando didn’t have to give up its core players in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, or its young players such as Anthony Black (a 2023 lottery pick) and Tristan da Silva (2024 first-round pick). Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for give up

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give up was in the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

give up

verb
1
2
: to abandon (oneself) to a feeling, influence, or activity
3

More from Merriam-Webster on give up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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