give

verb

ˈgiv How to pronounce give (audio)
Definition of givenext
1
as in to donate
to make a present of thanked all the tutors who generously gave their time to help students after school

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2
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another gave my camera to my father to hold while I went swimming

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3
as in to offer
to bring before the public in performance or exhibition the author will give a reading from her latest work at 7:00 p.m.

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4
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure they loaded the shopping cart with so much food it gave under all the weight

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5
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment I wouldn't give a nickel for such a run-down car

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6
as in to express
to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) she gave her opinion on the matter very firmly and unmistakably

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7
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention totally gave himself to his studies in the hopes of winning a scholarship for next year

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8
as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

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9
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption gave him my e-mail address

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10
as in to run by
to put before another for acceptance or consideration she gave the committee her grant proposal

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11
as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another she gave her cold to me, and now I'm so sick that I can barely get out of bed

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb give contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of give are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms
gave her a ride on a pony
give my love to your mother

When is it sensible to use afford instead of give?

Although the words afford and give have much in common, afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade
a development that affords us some hope

When can bestow be used instead of give?

While the synonyms bestow and give are close in meaning, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is confer a more appropriate choice than give?

While in some cases nearly identical to give, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of give?

The synonyms donate and give are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When might present be a better fit than give?

The meanings of present and give largely overlap; however, present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of give Denmark providing the joint second-highest number of teams is perhaps surprising given their lack of success in international club football. —Will Jeanes, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025 No, Tony and Ziva are not officially together, giving them room to banter again. —Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Paul suggested the drug boat’s occupants should have been given a chance to be tried for their crimes. —Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025 Business outlet TheStreet reported that stores had been given a grace period to implement the change that ends Aug. 31. —James Powel, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
  1. donate
  2. leave
  3. offer
  4. collapse
  5. pay
  6. express
  7. devote
  8. yield
Verb
  • By contrast, Jeffrey goes out of his way to help the employees, breaking into Mitch’s computer to change their timesheets and stealing a trash bag full of goodies to donate to the toy drive at Leigh’s church.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
  • This time, the surplus stock—mostly from European brands—was sold rather than donated.
    — The Editors, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of donate
Verb
  • He was charged with felony counts of leaving the scene of crash involving death, driving without a license causing death and resisting arrest, the sheriff’s office said.
    — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Investigators said that parties involved in the argument were leaving the indoor amusement park when Reed assaulted an employee, unprovoked, while making his way outside.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of leave
Verb
  • With its Disney integration and exclusive access to Searchlight and 20th Century Studios titles, the popular streamer offers Academy Award contenders and blockbusters to your screen all year round.
    — Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Many wineries and local eateries offer bike racks or valet parking.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of offer
Verb
  • The marathon meeting evoked memories of a past era of contentious county budgets in the wake of the 2008 housing crash, when collapsed real estate values caused a severe revenue crunch for Miami-Dade.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
  • But there have still been high-profile rail bridge collapses like the one in Montana two years ago that sent a train hauling petroleum products into the Yellowstone River, sending tar balls downstream that had to be cleaned up.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Social media companies and influencers paid to promote pharmaceutical offerings without proper disclosures will also be targeted by the federal government, according to CNBC, which cited unnamed senior officials.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The backslide is worse for Black women, who in 2024 were paid 65 cents for every dollar paid to White men.
    — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • Regardless of where the fans stand, Williams likes to express himself in that way.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Canadian Pacific Kansas City de Mexico, the railway, expressed its condolences to the victims' families and called on drivers to respect road signs and stop orders at railroad crossings.
    — Lizbeth Diaz, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of express
Verb
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated, based on 2023 data, that older adults devote a higher share of spending than the general population to groceries, housing, utilities and health care.
    — Susan Tompor, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Police departments, including Crockett’s local Dallas Police Department, often devote resources to crime prevention.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of devote
Verb
  • For the moment, various brainstorming and armchair analyses are yielding some interesting and potentially useful insights worthy of further exploration.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The findings even suggest that modest design modifications can yield substantial benefits, offering engineers flexibility in designing future reactors by balancing performance with engineering complexity.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of yield

Phrases Containing give

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gits
give
give a hang
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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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