give up

Definition of give upnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in to surrender
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

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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 Fortune also reported that for those who don’t qualify for the $1,000, other contributions can come from parents, family members and friends who can give up to $5,000 annually in after-tax dollars for years before the child turns 18. Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 9 July 2026 Morocco did not give up the fight, creating several scoring opportunities late. Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 9 July 2026 To lure the Panthers to Rock Hill, the city had agreed to give up its full share of fee revenue for that incentive deal. John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026 In fact, even the New York Police Department officers who were on duty at the venue were forced to give up their phones for the shift. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for give up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give up
Verb
  • Briscoe came out of the pits with the lead with 42 laps to go and never relinquished it despite a strong push from Bell.
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • While relinquishing the lead that night, Chapman tied Wilhelm’s record.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • In 1984, siblings Ramon, Ricard and Elvira were abandoned in a Barcelona train station with no luggage, no identification and no information about their family.
    Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The government is somewhere in the middle – approving emergency AC units for hospitals while trying not to be seen as abandoning France’s insulation-first approach to heat.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • One boy, 12, succumbed to the heat and passed out, with EMS medics and police rushing to help him, according to PIX 11.
    Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
  • On Thursday at Wimbledon, a couple of players were unable to do so, succumbing to Nadal’s Law.
    Ava Wallace, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • On that note, resist the urge to bury discomfort by indulging, shopping or being stubbornly silent.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • Will blamed Cal for the idea; Cal, Will for indulging it; both of them the other for not being the one dead.
    Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • By the end, the Sparks spent the game playing catch-up, never regaining the lead after surrendering it in the first 49 seconds to Johnson.
    Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • When each man surrendered possessions to the ice, Shackleton threw his gold cigarette case away first.
    Ed Brzychcy, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • Herzog won a power struggle in the front office, then quit anyway, amid disputes with ownership.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The much-ballyhooed heavyweight boxing match between Mike Tyson and Andrew Golota ends abruptly when Golota quits after the second round; later Golota is hospitalized with a concussion.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • This systematic approach, including proactive diaspora talent identification and a uniform coaching philosophy across all age groups, has yielded consistent results, including a U20 World Cup win.
    Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • Amazon’s bond deal even helped lift the 10-year Treasury yield up eight basis points, BofA noted.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • On June 23, an attendant at a gas station in the center of Moscow told CNN that tankers were still arriving and delivering fuel according to schedule.
    Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The unique vow arrangement saw both Swift and Kelce deliver 20-minute speeches celebrating their love and commitment to one another.
    Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 July 2026

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give%20up. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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