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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leave
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Just outside the hotel, there’s a gondola ferry that crosses the Grand Canal and leaves you in front of the Rialto Market.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
When the deadline passed at the beginning of April, she was put on leave at her job at a healthcare IT company and now, as a single mother of a college freshman, has no income.
—Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for leave
Verb
As the water evaporates, the artwork disappears, leaving a blank canvas ready for next time.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Just outside the hotel, there’s a gondola ferry that crosses the Grand Canal and leaves you in front of the Rialto Market.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Noun
Spores from infected leaves and blooms can invade pruning wounds and damaged tissue.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
When the deadline passed at the beginning of April, she was put on leave at her job at a healthcare IT company and now, as a single mother of a college freshman, has no income.
—Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
-
Even as anthropologists were decisively abandoning totemism, however, the idea was gaining cultural credibility elsewhere.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Mason’s project is a prime example of how journalists are reaching audiences who have abandoned traditional TV for streaming.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
One version of the nation’s history anchors itself in the efforts to navigate those tempests, to better the imperfect tools bequeathed to us by imperfect men.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Among the additions to the AKG holdings in that time was the estate of Marisol, a Pop artist who bequeathed it to the museum upon her death in 2016; the museum organized an acclaimed traveling retrospective of her art that first opened in 2023 and landed at the museum the following year.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For decades, California had some of the strongest legal protections for law enforcement officers in the country, at times allowing those who engaged in serious misconduct to quietly quit and find jobs in other departments.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
But in the end, higher jet fuel prices triggered by the Iran war drained cash from the business at an accelerating pace, forcing it to call it quits.—
Bernard Condon,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Limon won his Super Tiebreaker to hand the Scots the sweep.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
But Ottawa was whistled for consecutive penalties in the final minute of the frame to hand Boston a chance to answer.—
Jason Cooke,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Beran dumped a double onto the foul line in left field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Geneva (19-3, 8-2) the lead for good.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Investigators allege that Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, Limon's roommate, murdered the pair and dumped their bodies.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Choose one interaction to handle with calm and clarity today, and let that set a steadier tone for everything that follows.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Start the conversation, make your point clearly, and let the response shape what happens next instead of adjusting midstream.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another is East Sister Rock Island, a private vacation rental just off the coast of Marathon.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
In mid-April, Mexican holiday airline Magnicharters canceled all flights for two weeks, stranding some travelers in popular vacation destinations like Cancún, Mérida and Huatulco.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Taiwan blamed China for blocking the trip, accusing Beijing of forcing the African nations to deny permission for Lai’s aircraft to pass through their airspace.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
4 May 2026
-
Authorities in the West African island nation have denied the MV Hondius permission to dock at the port of Praia as a precautionary measure, complicating efforts to evacuate sick passengers and provide urgent medical care.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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