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
Don’t give up on the first try Negotiations with lenders can sometimes take months.
—
Kirk Pepi, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025
Tamra Judge refused to give up on her best friend Teddi Mellencamp following the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum's brain tumor diagnosis.
—Kat Stinson, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Judiciary won’t give up on more judgeships The federal judiciary isn’t giving up on its ask that Congress add more judgeships to address growing caseloads.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
During an interview with the CBC, advocate Sheila North acknowledged the resilience of the victim's families, who didn't give up on recovering the remains.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for give up on (someone or something)
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.
Kirk Pepi, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025
Tamra Judge refused to give up on her best friend Teddi Mellencamp following the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum's brain tumor diagnosis.
—Kat Stinson, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Judiciary won’t give up on more judgeships The federal judiciary isn’t giving up on its ask that Congress add more judgeships to address growing caseloads.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
During an interview with the CBC, advocate Sheila North acknowledged the resilience of the victim's families, who didn't give up on recovering the remains.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share