Synonyms of gave way

gave way

phrase

past tense of give way

1

as in collapsed

to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure

That old chair is going to give way soon.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• collapsed
• went out
• went
• crumpled
• tumbled
• gave
• yielded
• died
• buckled
• melted
• shattered
• caved (in)
• foundered
• gave out
• crumbled
• imploded
• failed
• crashed
• flattened
• burst
• broke
• snapped
• popped
• stalled
• broke down
• smashed
• split
• cracked
• melted down
• deflated
• splintered
• conked (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rose
• inflated
• swelled

2

as in withdrew

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)

They were urged to give way but chose to stand their ground.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• withdrew
• retreated
• retired
• pulled out
• fell back
• dropped back
• lost ground
• gave ground
• backed away
• fled
• receded
• evacuated
• flew
• left
• pulled away
• recoiled
• flinched
• detached
• shrank
• climbed down
• departed
• went
• bowed out
• abandoned
• vacated
• disengaged
• backed down
• quit
• chickened (out)
• backtracked
• backpedaled
• disentangled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advanced
• confronted
• dared
• faced
• bearded
• defied
• braved
• breasted
• outbraved
• brazened

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gave way

That breakout quickly failed, however, and gave way to a bearish pattern that broke down aggressively two weeks ago. — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2026

This feeling soon gave way to doubt and a growing sense of complicity. — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2026

During that coffee, our polite chatter gave way to decoding the sultry subtext. — Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2026

Long story short, the gold rush of the CBS years (MLB payrolls doubled between the start of the deal and the network’s final season) quickly gave way to a staggering depletion of resources. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026

In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home. — Mead Gruver, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

Recently, my ankle gave way while hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. — Diana Daniele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Mild unease gave way to statements about being worthless, unloved, and a failure. — Shae Lake, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

The festive pregame party gave way to a first half filled with long stretches of fouls and missed shots, not leaving much reason for the cheers to continue. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026