give up on (someone or something)
idiom
1
: to stop trying to improve the condition of (someone)
He has gotten in trouble many times, but his parents have never given up on him.
Please don't give up on me. I promise I'll do better.
2
: to stop having hope of seeing (someone)
We'd given up on you hours ago!
3
: to stop trying to do or achieve (something)
They have given up on their plan to build a new factory.
She hasn't given up on trying to convince her husband to buy a new car.
Examples of give up on (someone or something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With this recent surge in mind, Seymour said that now is not the time to give up on the aerospace giant.
—
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2025
Don’t give up on your plants as some have been known to wait until early summer before making a recovery.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
Ukraine, meanwhile, should make a deal now — and give up on regaining all of its occupied territory, or becoming a member of NATO.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025
Progressives aren’t going to give up on this issue, although polling shows that a supermajority of Americans want women’s athletics to be women-only.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for give up on (someone or something) 
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Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2025
Don’t give up on your plants as some have been known to wait until early summer before making a recovery.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
Ukraine, meanwhile, should make a deal now — and give up on regaining all of its occupied territory, or becoming a member of NATO.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025
Progressives aren’t going to give up on this issue, although polling shows that a supermajority of Americans want women’s athletics to be women-only.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for give up on (someone or something)
Dictionary Entries Near give up on (someone or something)
Cite this Entry
“Give up on (someone or something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up%20on%20%28someone%20or%20something%29. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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