give up on (someone or something)

idiom

1
: to stop trying to improve the condition of (someone)
He has gotten in trouble many times, but his parents have never given up on him.
Please don't give up on me. I promise I'll do better.
2
: to stop having hope of seeing (someone)
We'd given up on you hours ago!
3
: to stop trying to do or achieve (something)
They have given up on their plan to build a new factory.
She hasn't given up on trying to convince her husband to buy a new car.

Examples of give up on (someone or something) in a Sentence

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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.
But would Baltimore really give up on the 25-year-old so soon? Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025 The president also made concessions to Russia by agreeing that Ukraine should have to give up on its hopes of joining NATO and, more controversially, must give up big swathes of its country to win peace. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025 Despite the volatile back-and-forth, Juvenile isn’t ready to give up on the possibility of performing with Turk again. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Aug. 2025 Refusing to give up on his daughter, Jung-hwan draws on his experience as a wild animal trainer and embarks on a life-or-death mission — taming a zombie. Sara Merican, Deadline, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for give up on (someone or something)

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Cite this Entry

“Give up on (someone or something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up%20on%20%28someone%20or%20something%29. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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