leave 1 of 2

1
2
as in to bequeath
to give by means of a will I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to quit
to give up (a job or office) he left his job in the city and moved out into the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
6

leave

2 of 2

noun

1
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended the soldier was on leave for three days before having to report back to base

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3

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 leave
Verb
Prosecutors said that Mendoza had abducted Tolleson from her home in north Texas, leaving behind her six-month-old daughter, who was found unharmed by Tolleson's mother the following day. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025 Visas for Pakistani citizens were limited, many Pakistanis were given a deadline to leave the country, diplomatic ties were downgraded, a land border between the two was shut down, and Pakistani military advisers were expelled from the New Delhi mission. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
Things like: Paid parental leave, affordable, high-quality childcare, career protection and re-entry support. Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 The variation in caffeine in matcha is a result of factors such as: How it's grown: Matcha, which is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, is a powdered type of Japanese green tea. Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • Our Founders bequeathed us something rare and great.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The city bequeathed him a new nickname, borrowed from their greatest footballing son — ‘Kvaradona’.
    The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 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
  • Another member of Diddy’s defense team, Anthony Ricco, previously quit the case in February.
    Justin Curto, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Now, she's being handed the reins to replace the network's biggest star amid dangerous political territory for Democrats, who lack majorities in both chambers of Congress and have faced an identity crisis since November, when former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Trump.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Their future is handed to a judge with limited time, minimal context and little understanding of their family, finances or goals.
    David Centeno, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Last week brought a frenzied trading session in the bond markets as investors dumped bonds overnight—sending the 30-year Treasury yield briefly above 5 percent.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The dogs were reported by passersby who alerted the KC Pet Project that dogs appeared to be dumped and roaming the area.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The lawsuit states that Liberty was negligent in failing to mark the gas line, and that after hitting the gas line, the other three companies were negligent in letting the gas leak continue unchecked.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Konan’s lawyers say refusal-to-deliver cases are rare and letting her suit continue would not cripple the postal service.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Frequent fliers and summer vacation hopefuls have been rushing to get one squared away before the nationwide travel mandate goes into effect.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025
  • With just about two more months of school left, families are in the midst of planning for childcare, summer camps, and vacations.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • To qualify as religious release time, educational instruction must take place off campus, with parental permission and with no public funding.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Visas grant international students entry to the U.S., while their status in the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) database is part of what gives them legal permission to stay in the U.S. for studies or limited on-the-job training after graduation.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on leave

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!