give up
verb
gave up; given up; giving up; gives up
1
: to yield control or possession of : surrender
forced to give up his job
2
: to desist from : abandon
refused to give up her efforts
3
: to declare incurable or insoluble
4
a
: to abandon (oneself) to a particular feeling, influence, or activity
gave himself up to despair
b
: to devote to a particular purpose or use
5
: to despair of seeing
we'd given you up
6
: to allow (a hit or run in baseball) while pitching
: to cease doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat : quit
—often used with on
don't give up on the project
Examples of give up in a Sentence
was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment
I hope you won't give up playing the piano.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Lynx gave up offensive rebounds and open 3-pointers.
—
Ben Pickman, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
The phrase refers to deceptive design tactics meant to steer users toward buying products or services or giving up their privacy.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
At the same time, the firm hasn’t given up on efforts to build a green banking business or the push to drive global emissions reductions.
—Justin Worland, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
The battery life gives up to five hours of listening time on a single charge, and up to 30 hours on-the go by recharging them in the case, which was redesigned to be 10% smaller with USB-C charging capabilities.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for give up
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ben Pickman, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
The phrase refers to deceptive design tactics meant to steer users toward buying products or services or giving up their privacy.
—Annie Palmer, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
At the same time, the firm hasn’t given up on efforts to build a green banking business or the push to drive global emissions reductions.
—Justin Worland, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
The battery life gives up to five hours of listening time on a single charge, and up to 30 hours on-the go by recharging them in the case, which was redesigned to be 10% smaller with USB-C charging capabilities.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for give up
Cite this Entry
“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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