1
as in to abandon
to cause to remain behind
you can leave your lunch in the refrigerator while we're outside starry-eyed lovers who promise never to leave one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to quit
to give up (a job or office)
he left his job in the city and moved out into the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
why don't you leave your watch with me while you swim?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to dump
to end a usually intimate relationship with
is there ever a good way to leave a lover?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to let
to give permission to
aw, leave him come
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended
the soldier was on leave for three days before having to report back to base
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
the editor gave the reporters leave to follow up on their initial investigation of the senator's fund-raising practices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in departure
the act of leaving a place
the party was clearly dying down, and it was time to take our leave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leave
Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2025
There are a fair few brands associated with a multitude of clubs that might leave a sour taste, depending on your disposition, but footballers are fairly limited in their ability to do much about it.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The leaves are changing, and those crisp fall mornings offer the first chance to don fall fabrics.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leave
Verb
Bailey argued that the district’s dispute with local police departments over its requirement that officers participate in diversity training — an impasse that resulted in some departments leaving schools without resource officers — had left students vulnerable.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2025
There are a fair few brands associated with a multitude of clubs that might leave a sour taste, depending on your disposition, but footballers are fairly limited in their ability to do much about it.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
Meanwhile, conservation advocates argue that leaving the parks open during a shutdown leaves room for unnecessary risks.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The leaves are changing, and those crisp fall mornings offer the first chance to don fall fabrics.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
-
Travis Decker, the man believed to have suffocated and abandoned his three young daughters at a campsite in the Washington state wilderness, is dead, Chelan County authorities said Thursday.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The Gulf states are hedging against Israeli overreach—not abandoning America.—
Firas Maksad,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There are also wooden pews made for the school’s Bond Chapel and 72,000 glass slides from the art-history department, all of which were bequeathed to Gates over the years.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Following her death in 2022, the tiara was bequeathed to Queen Camilla.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Among the most startling revelations was his experience filming 1977's The Sentinel, a horror movie directed by the late Michael Winner, which Sarandon says nearly drove him to quit acting altogether.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The ex-staffer, who quit in August, said he was punched, elbowed or kicked by youth over 10 times and reported three or four assaults to police.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But around five years ago, life handed him a raw deal.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Thirty years after handing Florida State’s dynasty its first ACC defeat, was Virginia going to incite another Scott Stadium party?—
David Teel,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Callie, the hottest person at Seattle Grace, went through so much turmoil and humiliation in her relationships prior to that, including, but not limited to, being cheated on by her husband and being dumped by a newly out lesbian who couldn’t handle her being bisexual.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
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Old Nazi warheads and US warships have been reclaimed by a new army of diverse marine life, as scientists uncover how nature has made use of the munitions and fleets that ended up dumped in waterways during the two world conflicts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Unlike traditional approaches, HydroSpread lets ultrathin polymer films form directly on water, eliminating the fragile and error-prone step of transferring films from rigid surfaces.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
OpenAI’s move toward proactive assistants Pulse follows OpenAI's January introduction of Tasks, a feature that lets Plus and Pro subscribers schedule ChatGPT to perform specific actions at set times.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
European vacation destinations will soon require travelers to have prints of their fingers taken as well as photos upon arrival.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Death card shows up as sacred permission to shed a layer that no longer serves you.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Reprinted by permission of Scribner, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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