give way

phrase

1

a

: retreat

b

: to yield the right of way

2

: to yield oneself without restraint or control

3

a

: to yield to or as if to physical stress

The roof gave way under heavy snow.

b

: to yield to entreaty or insistence

After several hours of debate, the opposition finally gave way.

4

: to yield place

Farmland has given way to shopping malls.

5

: to begin to row

Examples of give way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From there, the exhibition gives way to the striking editorial images with which Pavarotti quickly made his name, set against walls washed in scarlet, fuchsia, canary yellow, plum, and terracotta. — Alison S. Cohn, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

But the cold, analytical qualities typical of both science and documentary film give way to something tender and embodied in Johnson’s hands. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

But Depp’s decades of Hollywood success eventually gave way to a turbulent period in his career. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Same Movie, Scarier Villain The earlier waves of shadow IT gave way to shadow applications. — Adrian Carr, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for give way

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway