give up

1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in to indulge
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly even in the darkest days of her troubled marriage, she refused to give herself up to feelings of utter hopelessness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of give up The only problem is that planting much of a garden requires having a home with a back yard, a comfort that many millennials gave up on ever achieving around 2008. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2025 Festa gave up one run (which was unearned) in 4⅔ innings in his first major league start of the season last time out. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2025 Where the road gave up in disgust, Baffigi shouldered my wife’s rucksack and led us down a rocky path. Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025 Sometimes giving up your favorite thing makes your life 100 times better. Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give up
Verb
  • Fittingly posted on a Wednesday (April 23), the two-minute preview opens with Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday making her way back to Nevermore Academy, a journey that involves the teenager reluctantly relinquishing her many weapons to TSA agents at an airport.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2025
  • But the Trump administration is now relinquishing its influence over the multilateral system, preferring instead to handle countries one by one, transaction by transaction.
    Ngaire Woods, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • At this point, what started as a throwaway joke has grown into something vaguely earnest — too big to fail and too enmeshed in the neighborhood to be abandoned in good conscience.
    Nate Rogers, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Biden’s Justice Department ultimately abandoned the gambit and left Trump to head to trial, where a jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million.
    Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Day 3, morning: A nation on edge, a family at ease The Sanders family never succumbed to negativity in the public throughout the historic slide and cruel prank.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Firefighter Hoffman, succumbed to his injuries in the intensive care unit.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In any event, a square between the sun and your celestial ruler, Mars, on April 20, creates tension between your desire to indulge and have fun versus the reality of your financial responsibilities.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The pet-friendly hotel indulges guests with a rooftop terrace, a library bar, and accommodations that range from cozy rooms to three-bedroom suites.
    Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • While it’s been relatively rare for charter schools in Fort Worth to surrender their charters, Rocketship Texas’ closure comes about a year after the closure of another local campus, for similar reasons.
    Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Samia’s fate remains unknown as she’s reported to be be held in the Sudanese prison Kober, known for its treacherous conditions, which is the intel that leads Martian to surrender to James Richardson’s (Hugh Bonneville) condition to become a double agent.
    Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • There are myriad, clear alcohol health risks that can be improved by quitting drinking altogether or lowering alcohol consumption.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • That included taking calculated risks—such as quitting her make-ends-meet career as a registered nurse and declining an early deal with Walmart.
    India Espy-Jones, Essence, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The ability to render the real world using charcoal is utter trickery.
    Emily Wilson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • All of that renders the actual heist more of a chore than an adventure, where more time is spent on the inner workings of a safe than taking advantage of Chekhov’s laser field.
    Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Accompanied by two female backup singers wearing cowboy hats, a trumpet player and Grupo Frontera’s signature ensemble of accordion, keyboards and guitars, the band delivered a dynamic and cohesive performance.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Comcast delivered first-quarter results slightly better than Wall Street expectations, but its shares fell in pre-market trading Thursday.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on give up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!