giveaway

1 of 2

noun

give·​away ˈgiv-ə-ˌwā 

plural giveaways

1

: an unintentional revelation or betrayal

2

a

: something given away free

specifically : premium sense 1d

b

: the act of giving something away free

staging a promotional giveaway

3

: a radio or television program on which prizes are given away

4

sports : an error or poor play that allows an opponent to gain control of the ball or puck : a mistake that results in a turnover

As a team the Dolphins have committed a league-low 12 giveaways.

—Jim Trotter

give away

2 of 2

verb

gave away; given away; giving away; gives away

transitive verb

1

: to make a present of

2

: to deliver (a bride) ceremonially to the bridegroom at a wedding

3

a

: betray

b

: disclose, reveal

4

: to give (something, such as weight) by way of a handicap

Synonyms of giveaway

Noun

• gift
• donation
• present
• presentation

Verb

• display
• reveal
• show
• betray
• demonstrate

Examples of giveaway in a Sentence

Noun

The way she looked at him was a dead giveaway that they were more than just friends.

The store is offering coffee mugs as free giveaways to attract new customers.

The store is staging a promotional giveaway to attract new customers.

Verb

the insincerity of his apology was given away by that slight smirk on his face

gave away all her potted plants when she moved

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The giveaway returned following a strong community turnout last year, continuing the effort to provide South Florida families with emergency supplies as the region moves through the remainder of hurricane season. — CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026

Teammate Nick Scott recovered, and the Panthers turned the giveaway into a touchdown. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Verb

Torchy’s Tacos is giving away a free, large green chile queso with chips with any purchase, for rewards members only. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026

The other nine finalists will earn 500,000 points each, meaning Chase is giving away a total of 10 million Ultimate Rewards points. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing giveaway

• dead giveaway
• giveaway price

Rhymes for giveaway

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

giveaway

1 of 2 noun

give·​away ˈgiv-ə-ˌwā 

1

: an unintentional act of revealing or betraying

his expression was a dead giveaway of his guilt

2

: something that is given away free

3

: an event at which things are given away

give away

2 of 2 verb

ˌgiv-ə-ˈwā

1

: to present (a bride) to the bridegroom at a wedding

2

a

: to show unintentionally

b

: disclose, reveal