GAVE UP (TO) Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

gave up (to)

verb

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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave up (to)

Verb

The league has also dedicated significant resources to its gambling education program, reaching more than 20,000 people associated with the league.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
That would have dedicated more than a tenth of the NIH’s annual budget to investigating a hypothesis already refuted by scientists worldwide.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of dedicated

Verb

In addition to performing, Grisetti devoted much of his career to teaching the next generation of artists.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
The real Nafisi is a beloved literary figure, a professor who has devoted the bulk of her life to evangelizing about the transcendence of Western literature in places where its liberal, humanist messages are much needed.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of devoted

Verb

Candidates receiving the funding must abide by expenditure limits and adhere to the criteria set by statute, ordinance or charter to demonstrate broad support, such as demonstrate a large number of small dollar contributions.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
The government would hold shares whose worth is set by the market.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of set by

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.

Browse Nearby Words

gave up the ghost

gave up (to)

gave way

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

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Synonyms of gave up (to)

verb

Example Sentences

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