give over

verb

gave over; given over; giving over; gives over

transitive verb

1

: cease

2

: entrust

3

a

: to yield without restraint or control : abandon

gave themselves over to laughter

b

: to set apart for a particular purpose or use

4

archaic : to pronounce incurable

intransitive verb

British : to cease an activity : stop

… told him to give over and let me alone …

—Brendan Behan

Synonyms of give over

• stop
• cease
• end
• halt
• quit
• leave off
• shut off
• cut off
• cut out
• have done with

Examples of give over in a Sentence

his wife suggested that he give over working such long hours if it was making him so unhappy

gave over his entire savings to an investor

Recent Examples on the Web

Much of the house is given over to recreation, including an indoor basketball court, bowling alley, golf simulator, full gym, and a spa with sauna and steam room. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2026

The sandy beach stretches on for miles, much of which is given over to beach clubs. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

In 2024, Russia did not participate and instead gave over its pavilion to Bolivia, which does not have a permanent exhibition space at the Biennale in its name. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 22 Apr. 2026

While these claims are redacted on the CCRB’s website, they’re given over to anyone who files a FOIL request. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for give over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover