gave up

past tense of give up
1
as in relinquished
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Anaheim gave up the game-tying goal just eight seconds after killing Calgary’s 5-on-3 advantage — with the help of Dostal’s four saves — for two minutes of the second. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Anaheim gave up the tying goal just eight seconds after killing Calgary’s five-on-three advantage — with the help of Dostal’s four saves — for two minutes of the second. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Stocks rolled over and gave up gains seen earlier in the session, while Treasury yields spiked higher. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 Then their starter gave up some homers, and the bullpen failed. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Just weeks before trial, Thompson made the decision opposed by some of the victims’ families to negotiate a plea deal with Kohberger rather than take the case to trial, which gave up the chance at the death penalty. — Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Oct. 2026 He was targeted 14 times and gave up 11 receptions Sunday night. — Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Shota Imanaga went five for the Cubs and gave up his only run in the fourth on a single by Augustin Ramirez that scored Stowers. — Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026 In the seventh, Rangers reliever Robert Garcia gave up an RBI double to Benge and couldn’t get out of the inning. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave up
Verb
  • Panettiere had relinquished custody of Kaya to Klitschko in 2018.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Tate Nagy relinquished punt return duties to Keaton Kubecka Saturday.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Naturally, the company that helped pioneer online diamond shopping hasn’t abandoned the internet.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP and TotalEnergies abandoned the event, the FT reported, due to the potential danger.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Shakur succumbed to his gunshot wounds six days after being gunned down.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • He was shot four times and succumbed to his injuries six days later.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • There was no mention of a funeral in Adrien’s letter, and for a moment, Adelaide indulged the thought of ordering a carriage for Moscow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • My daughter was enchanted by the Balinese rice-on-the-forehead ritual for good fortune that is a part of the arrival, and the front desk staff happily indulged her request to do it again—multiple times a day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Cam Pickett had a season-high 134 yards on eight catches for the Jayhawks (2-3, 0-2), who surrendered 541 total yards to the Utes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Within a minute of the puck hitting the ice, the Dons surrendered the first breakaway.
    — Richie McGinniss, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Theo was thinking about quitting his job to start his own business, which meant, for a time, no income.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lonely employees are roughly twice as likely to quit their job.
    — Jordan Dunin, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Griess, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the 430 trees that were felled were not identified as hazardous or raising safety concerns.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Yet trees that took a millennium to grow can be felled in under an hour.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The city argued that the changes rendered portions of Jackson’s lawsuit moot because the original restrictions were no longer in effect.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Campus security found the women and rendered emergency medical services before they were transported to a nearby hospital, according to the indictment.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Gave up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20up. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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