gave up (to)

past tense of give up (to)
as in dedicated
to keep or intend for a special purpose unfortunately, when he was in college, weekends were largely given up to binge drinking

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave up (to)
Verb
  • Born in Palestine but displaced to Egypt as a child because of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the righteous but mild-mannered Odeh dedicated his adult life to combating discrimination against his people in America.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The ornate Beaux Arts structure with its dome and circle of columns was dedicated 100 years ago, and is now undergoing restoration work.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Holding a second job was prohibited, regardless of an individual’s financial situation, to ensure that employees devoted all their energy and attention to UPS.
    — Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Having survived Auschwitz, Eger devoted her life to helping Vietnam veterans and others confront trauma, guilt and grief.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Critics pointed to it as evidence that the FDA had made a terrible mistake, and payors and hospital systems used it to justify not paying the outlandish price set by the manufacturer.
    — C. Joseph Ross Daval, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The foundation that’s been set by Efrain’s leadership will continue to benefit the business moving forward.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Gave up (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20up%20%28to%29. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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