1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to abandon
to stop doing (something) permanently
I hope you won't give up playing the piano
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to succumb
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
with the prospect of a renewed enemy attack, the regiment decided to simply give up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to indulge
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly
even in the darkest days of her troubled marriage, she refused to give herself up to feelings of utter hopelessness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 give up
Ceding control of even some charitable assets means giving up a bit of that power.
—
Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2025
Efforts to amend the ordinance failed, and Hoobler chose to resign rather than give up his liquor license.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Robert gave up just one run over five innings — a solo home run to Curtis McKay in the fifth inning — while holding Niagara to four hits total.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
On the other hand, given that Vezina-calibre upside, can the Canucks afford to give up on a player with elite potential who could increase this team’s ceiling as a contender next season?
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for give up 
Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2025
Efforts to amend the ordinance failed, and Hoobler chose to resign rather than give up his liquor license.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Robert gave up just one run over five innings — a solo home run to Curtis McKay in the fifth inning — while holding Niagara to four hits total.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
On the other hand, given that Vezina-calibre upside, can the Canucks afford to give up on a player with elite potential who could increase this team’s ceiling as a contender next season?
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for give up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give up
Verb
-
Trump is especially bitter that President Carter, in 1977, entered into agreement with Panama to relinquish control of the canal by the year 1999.—
Tracy Wilkinson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Ellis hired his previous CBS Records colleague Gregg Geller, who José promptly put in charge of the Elvis Presley catalog, moving it over from Nashville, where Joe Galante was only too happy to relinquish it after the sales spike from Presley’s death in 1977 had cooled off.—
Roy Trakin,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
That effort now appears to have come to an abrupt end as USAID contractors around the world prepare to abandon critical projects and lay off staff.—
Jake Bittle,
WIRED,
8 Feb. 2025
-
This idea must be fought, stopped, and abandoned completely!—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
That proximity to real intimacy without fully succumbing to romantic feelings is so incredibly hot.—
Emily Martin,
Them,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Outie Mark grabs his innie’s tie and ascends, with copies of his innies around them also succumbing to the balloon-head disorder.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Their trip to Doha, Qatar, included cultural dinners, traditional garb, sightseeing, and hookah indulging, leaving Todd feeling right at home.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Don’t skip indulging from the many snack carts and food vendors that will also be in attendance.—
Mae Hamilton,
AFAR Media,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Image The Cement Garden By Ian McEwan The premise alone is goose bumps grim: After the death of their mother, four children decide to hide her body in a trunk of cement in their basement and fend for themselves rather than surrender to social workers and foster care.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The right-hander tossed three scoreless innings later that evening against the Boston Red Sox, allowing three hits while striking out four and surrendering no walks to earn the save and help the White Sox snap a 14-game losing streak.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
White nurses were afraid of the disease, quit, and sought employment elsewhere rather than risk infection.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
8 Feb. 2025
-
But after having the same tired argument over and over again with no improvements to show for it, Amy decided to call it quits with a text.—
Julia Ries,
SELF,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Nonetheless, an underperforming album or run of singles can render even seemingly infallible artists to the khia asylum – like, say, post-Radical Optimism Dua Lipa.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2025
-
In comparison, Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal, DirectX 12, and Vulkan, to assess gaming geometry and particle rendering speeds.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PCMAG,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Monster Hunter World was a zenith for the franchise, delivering a superb and accessible action experience enjoyed by millions.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Meanwhile, the aluminum and titanium handle adds some heft, which increases the amount of pressure this vibe can deliver.—
Gabrielle Kassel,
SELF,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near give up
Cite this Entry
“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give%20up. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share