give

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as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another she gave her cold to me, and now I'm so sick that I can barely get out of bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb give contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of give are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms
gave her a ride on a pony
give my love to your mother

When is it sensible to use afford instead of give?

Although the words afford and give have much in common, afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade
a development that affords us some hope

When can bestow be used instead of give?

While the synonyms bestow and give are close in meaning, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is confer a more appropriate choice than give?

While in some cases nearly identical to give, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of give?

The synonyms donate and give are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When might present be a better fit than give?

The meanings of present and give largely overlap; however, present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

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 After Patrick Mahomes engineered a 12-play, 86-yard go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, Harrison Butker kicked the ball out of bounds on the kickoff, giving the Jaguars the ball at the 40. Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025 This section will be completed before Segment 5 to give vehicles a way between Bonds Ranch and U.S. 287 while Segment 5 has part of the road shut down. Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025 The month comes to a close with Mercury entering Sagittarius on Oct. 29, giving the possibility for love and romance a bigger stage to bloom. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 But with two outs in the seventh inning, David Fry hit a two-run homer off Beau Brieske, giving the Guardians a 4-3 lead. Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
Verb
  • Along with the launch, Aniston is helping Pvolve kick off the nationwide Strong for Fall Challenge, a three-week commitment to complete 10 strength-building workouts, and, for every challenge completed, Pvolve will donate $1 to Women in Medicine.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • According to Henley & Partners, prospective citizens can donate $230,000 to the National Development Fund (for families of up to four) or $260,000 to the University of the West Indies Fund.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Markus Breitenecker, chief operating officer, is leaving his post with immediate effect.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and was assassinated in 2022 at a campaign rally, two years after leaving office.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Geiger said many stores began offering discounts and clearance on select Halloween items even in early October.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Swirling together American history with eerie hauntings, a trip to Salem, Massachusetts offers a fascinating look at one of the country’s most tragic events—the Salem witch trials of 1692.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Some stars collapsed to the sea floor, dissolved into piles of goo.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The South Lebanon Army has just collapsed and Hezbollah are advancing fast while Israel is withdrawing its troops from Lebanon six weeks before its July deadline.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Lowdown is paying tribute to its late star, Graham Greene.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Their separation came five years after the couple were entangled in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud related to paying hundreds of thousands in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.
    Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The rapper also expressed frustration towards those who criticized her appearance at a rally Kamala Harris hosted in Milwaukee ahead of the 2024 election, stating that the wrong parts of her speech went viral.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Prior to his death at 89, Jennifer said her dad was able to express his pride in her.
    Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In her victory speech, Takaichi promised to devote herself to the job.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Trump has devoted that attention to ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
    Barry Strauss, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Dough at room temperature will yield flat cookies.
    Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Animal models, on the other hand, are more biologically complete but expensive, slow to yield results, and not always reliable for predicting human outcomes.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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