gave ground

phrase

past tense of give ground
as in withdrew
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) There is wildlife in the area, so give ground if you see any when hiking.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave ground
  1. gave way
  2. lost ground
Phrase
  • Rachel and Monica’s West Village sublet gave way to Hannah and Marnie’s Greenpoint apartment—an address that might be considered laughably unattainable by the broke twentysomethings of today.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Those boos gave way to cheers when the Red Sox played a 90-second tribute video after the bottom of the first.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of gave way
Phrase
  • The site lost ground to competitors over the following decade, and its ownership transferred to Verizon after that company’s 2015 purchase of AOL.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The company has also lost ground in computer vision, per the report.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lost ground
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 birth to
gave ground
gave in
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Cite this Entry

“Gave ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20ground. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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