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

He was also ordered to give over his gun and have no contact with the children or their families. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

The hotel’s third floor is given over entirely to the 20,000-plus-square-foot Life of Many Colors Museum, created by Dolly Parton Productions. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026

From 1939 until 1945, the Wolfsburg factory was given over to military vehicles and munitions, even as the regime continued to promote the unavailable civilian car. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 7 Sep. 2026

So much airtime is given over to such gatherings that, in effect, making and promoting the show become the beats of the show. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 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