give over

verb

gave over; given over; giving over; gives over

transitive verb

1
: cease
2
3
a
: to yield without restraint or control : abandon
gave themselves over to laughter
b
: to set apart for a particular purpose or use
4
archaic : to pronounce incurable

intransitive verb

British : to cease an activity : stop
told him to give over and let me aloneBrendan Behan

Examples of give over in a Sentence

his wife suggested that he give over working such long hours if it was making him so unhappy gave over his entire savings to an investor
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.
It’s not given over to histrionics or blaring displays of emotion, instead asking us to follow Ruth and experience the world through her eyes. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 June 2025 The bulk of his Louvre paragraph—contrast that length with several hundred words detailing superfluous silk shopping—is given over to his distaste for the practice of painting the portraits of wealthy patrons. Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025 When thinking about migration is separated from thinking about people–and our histories–as these villains so cleverly achieve, the challenge of migration can be given over to cruelty. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 Last year, the company gave over 500,000 GBP to environmental and social causes. Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give over

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give over was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Give over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20over. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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