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
Jim Trotter
gave away; given away; giving away; gives away
1
: to make a present of
2
: to deliver (a bride) ceremonially to the bridegroom at a wedding
4
: to give (something, such as weight) by way of a handicap
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
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Darnell Nurse’s giveaway not even two minutes later led to Jack Hughes’ second goal of the game.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for giveaway
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Noun
Coach Marco Sturm, whose team was tagged with 18 giveaways (led by Pastrnak and Geekie, who each had three) again lamented turnovers and not being ready in key situations.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Darnell Nurse’s giveaway not even two minutes later led to Jack Hughes’ second goal of the game.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
Not competing on price—who’s giving away more?
—Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for giveaway
Cite this Entry
“Giveaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giveaway. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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