give over

verb

gave over; given over; giving over; gives over

transitive verb

1
: cease
2
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

intransitive verb

British : to cease an activity : stop
told him to give over and let me aloneBrendan Behan

Examples 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
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.
Christmas bar pop-up activities While the evenings will be given over to adults, Miracle on Maryland will have family-friendly activities during the day. Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 13 Oct. 2025 And the reason why Illinois is a different case from Chicago is because Chicago has been given over to lawlessness and gangs for too long, George. ABC News, 12 Oct. 2025 The stadium cannot only be given over to those who can afford to pay the most, there must be a balance. Andy Mitten, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 This dimension of the work was heightened by its site, a former helicopter landing field on an old NATO base, given over to the Autostrada Biennale in 2014 as part of a process of demilitarization in the aftermath of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s and Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008. Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give over

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give over was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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