gave up

past tense of give up
1
2
3
4
as in indulged
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly even in the darkest days of her troubled marriage, she refused to give herself up to feelings of utter hopelessness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 gave up People had previously reported that as Andrew gave up his titles, Ferguson would also not use the title going forward. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Oct. 2025 Despite being down to their third- and fourth-string tailbacks, the Dolphins gave up a total of 140 yards on the ground. Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025 Late in the first quarter, the Rockets gave up a wide-open dunk to Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu and an easy layup to Porziņģis because the back line of the defense was caught out of place and out of sync. William Guillory, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 After Demercado gave up the ball too early, Gannon is seen in the video walking by him and appearing to slap his arm — while his teammates console the TCU product. Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 Reliever Luke Weaver walked the free-swinging Ceddanne Rafaela, gave up a hustle double to Nick Sogard, then surrendered the go-ahead two-run single to pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida that ultimately proved to be the deciding blow. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025 Powell gave up alcohol during filming. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025 Instead, of course, Payton’s Broncos faced Fangio’s Dolphins in Week 3, and Joseph’s defense gave up 70 points and 726 total yards. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave up
Verb
  • Sol Price had relinquished his official leadership role, and Robert’s fifteen-year-old son had recently died of cancer, devastating the family.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Three years later, Hastings relinquished that post and moved on to become the company's executive chairman, elevating Greg Peters into his spot as co-CEO.
    Alex Sherman, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Murphy also attempted to debunk the DHS claims that Chicago police abandoned federal agents after the ramming incident by showing videos of Chicago police officers on scene after Martinez was shot, and clips of officers wiping their eyes after being affected by teargas deployed by agents.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Once home to 1,000 residents and 13 saloons, Garnet was once a vibrant community before it was abandoned in the 1960s.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Eventually, in 1950, Orwell succumbed to the disease.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The man who died, whose name has not been released, was reportedly injured during the incident and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, officials said.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Aztecs speared and ate them, and Catholic monks indulged on the aquatic delicacies on days they weren’t allowed to eat red meat.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025
  • At one point Wednesday, the judge indulged their request to meet with Adelson and the attorneys at a side bar out of the public’s earshot.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Euthanasia in shelter often happens because of lack of space, caused by the continuous influx of new puppies being found or surrendered every day.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • He was sentenced in February 2023 to 21 months in prison and surrendered the following month.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Amezcua, the mayor, said the raids have complicated local policing and rendered parents afraid to pick up their children from school.
    J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
  • But Gremlins' Kingston Falls is just as cozily rendered.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The boy can quit abruptly because there will be more interchangeable jobs—more elevators, more shoes, more greasy pots.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Play Now Marathon Runner from #cambodia refuses to quit and is rewarded!
    John Wihbey, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The trees had already been felled and piled by the landowner; the log piles were initially slated to be burned to reduce the fire hazard.
    Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Grainier‘s an itinerant lumber man who worked the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, felling timber and building railroads.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Gave up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20up. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!