give up

verb

gave up; given up; giving up; gives up

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to cease doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat : quit
often used with on
don't give up on the project
Phrases
give up the ghost
: to cease to live or function : die

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
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.
Not to give up, not to fall apart, but to pause, to check back in with the version of you that isn’t stretched thin. Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 In case anyone needs a reminder, Baltimore gave up 38 and 34 points in close, high-scoring wins over Cincinnati a year ago. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 Alex Vesia gave up a leadoff homer to Bryce Harper in the eighth after the Dodgers had tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh on Mookie Betts’ 19th homer. Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025 What’s more, 49 percent have given up on existing partnerships due to the double-digit tariff increases on trade partners, which Agiloft said suggests that American firms that are particularly exposed to international sourcing are shaking up sourcing significantly. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give up

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give up was in the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

give up

verb
1
2
: to abandon (oneself) to a feeling, influence, or activity
3

More from Merriam-Webster on give up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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