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

The Armory Sculpture section will include pieces by Sonya Clark, Rafael Ferrer, and Kaloki Nyamai, while the Armory Spotlight booth, given over to El Museo del Barrio this year, will feature a participatory textile installation by Lulu Varona. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 20 Aug. 2026

When the government took over Riis, the east wing of the crumbling bathhouse was given over to the National Park Service lifeguards. — Jake Offenhartz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Nadal was not a producer on the doc, which was made by Skydance Sports, and also meant the tennis star had to give over some degree of control. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026

McConnell's attendance at the picnic has become a given over the years. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 4 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