give over
verb
gave over; given over; giving over; gives over
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
British
: to cease an activity : stop
told him to give over and let me alone—
Brendan Behan
Brendan BehanExamples 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
It’s not given over to histrionics or blaring displays of emotion, instead asking us to follow Ruth and experience the world through her eyes.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 June 2025
The bulk of his Louvre paragraph—contrast that length with several hundred words detailing superfluous silk shopping—is given over to his distaste for the practice of painting the portraits of wealthy patrons.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
When thinking about migration is separated from thinking about people–and our histories–as these villains so cleverly achieve, the challenge of migration can be given over to cruelty.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Last year, the company gave over 500,000 GBP to environmental and social causes.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for give over
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Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 June 2025
The bulk of his Louvre paragraph—contrast that length with several hundred words detailing superfluous silk shopping—is given over to his distaste for the practice of painting the portraits of wealthy patrons.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
When thinking about migration is separated from thinking about people–and our histories–as these villains so cleverly achieve, the challenge of migration can be given over to cruelty.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Last year, the company gave over 500,000 GBP to environmental and social causes.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for give over
Cite this Entry
“Give over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20over. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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