1
as in to abandon
to cause to remain behind
you can leave your lunch in the refrigerator while we're outside starry-eyed lovers who promise never to leave one another
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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4
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
why don't you leave your watch with me while you swim?
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5
as in to dump
to end a usually intimate relationship with
is there ever a good way to leave a lover?
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6
as in to let
to give permission to
aw, leave him come
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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
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2
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
the editor gave the reporters leave to follow up on their initial investigation of the senator's fund-raising practices
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3
as in departure
the act of leaving a place
the party was clearly dying down, and it was time to take our leave
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of leave
John Hope Bryant, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
And if existing homeowners can’t get insurance, they’ll be left bearing the cost of catastrophes all on their own, like many in the burn area around Los Angeles are now.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2025
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
What is coming is a salary cap, revenue sharing, some structure, but until then boosters with means who want to spend it on their favorite team still can blow their money like a sailor on leave.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for leave 
Verb
Even when the flames are extinguished, their impact will remain—leaving thousands displaced, jobs lost, and a sense of stability shaken.
—John Hope Bryant, TIME, 18 Jan. 2025
And if existing homeowners can’t get insurance, they’ll be left bearing the cost of catastrophes all on their own, like many in the burn area around Los Angeles are now.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
Belonging to the same cruciferous vegetable family as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli; cabbage is a leafy plant known for its dense leaves, earthy flavor, and satisfying crunch.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
What is coming is a salary cap, revenue sharing, some structure, but until then boosters with means who want to spend it on their favorite team still can blow their money like a sailor on leave.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
-
It had been abandoned but the girl, Blessing Aoci, was nowhere to be found.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
17 Jan. 2025
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But the consistent presence of drug rehabilitation and criminal offenses dominating the background of potential candidates for the award led the league to eventually abandon it.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Oscar’s own Altadena home, on Grandeur Avenue, which was bequeathed to him and his wife, Laurie, by a great-aunt who bought it in the fifties, was just a five-minute drive away.—
Emily Witt,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
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Still, with the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 25 percentage points in recent surveys, the path that Mr. Trudeau bequeaths his successor is likely to be treacherous.—
Matina Stevis-Gridneff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the case of lung cancer, which is predominantly driven by tobacco use, the shift in cancer incidence may be due to changes in peak tobacco use among women, who were more likely to start smoking later in life and were slower to quit, ACS chief scientific officer William Dahut said.—
Tina Reed,
Axios,
16 Jan. 2025
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The report also found that although cases of lung cancer declined overall from 2012 to 2021, the decrease was slower in women — most likely because women were slower to take up heavy smoking and slower to quit, said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC News,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Last summer, at the time a photo of Lionel Messi blessing him at barely six months old resurfaced and went viral, Lamine won the Euros with La Roja in Germany ahead of being handed the Golden Boy gong by Tutto Sport and the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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The 21-year-old was handed a three-match suspension for the red card that was unsuccessfully appealed by Villa and was then charged by the FA for the water bottle incident.—
Sam Joseph,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After a fierce battle Saturday, firefighters managed to fight back flames in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities near Pacific Palisades not far from the coast, where swooping helicopters dumped water as the blaze charged downhill.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
arkansasonline.com,
13 Jan. 2025
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Major winter storms have dumped snow and cold weather on the Mid-Atlantic and the South.—
Alejandra Borunda,
NPR,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But the flip side is also true: Nothing would be more harmful than letting the Small Business Deduction disappear at the end of the year.—
John E. Kelly Jr.,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2025
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The qualified business income deduction: The QBI was created under TCJA and lets businesses filing under the individual tax code deduct 20% of their income.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This shift also reflects a growing interest in seasonal travel that aligns with natural phenomena, such as the midnight sun or the Northern Lights, adding an extraordinary element to the vacation experience.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
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Over the course of their relationship, they've been spotted on vacation and visiting filming sets together.—
Francesca Gariano,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Ukraine now has permission to use the American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russia.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Law enforcement only has permission to access two other online databases: GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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