gave up

Definition of gave upnext
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

Relevance

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 Leahy gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks. CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026 Imanaga struck out seven in five innings, but also gave up four runs on six hits. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 Harrison struck out eight and gave up one run, four hits and one walk in five innings. ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026 The best starter was right-hander George Klassen, who gave up one earned run in 4⅔ innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026 Playing a sloppy period for one of the few times this calendar year, Dallas gave up four goals — two on breakaways, including a short-handed goal on a giveaway by Miro Heiskanen — as Utah ended the points streak with an emphatic 6-3 victory at the AAC. Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026 The Bobcats' pitching, which had been adequate for most of the nonconference slate, gave up 36 runs over three days. Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026 The Wildcats began applying more defensive pressure in the second quarter, forcing two turnovers against UConn through the first 90 seconds after the Huskies gave up two in the entire opening quarter. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026 Although the Bucks shot slightly better from distance (13 for 44), they were still limited to 30% from beyond the arc and gave up 23 points off 17 takeaways. Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave up
Verb
  • Kentucky opened the game’s scoring, but the Longhorns responded with a 15-0 first-quarter scoring run and never relinquished the lead.
    Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The chance to play in a hometown regional became a possibility last summer when UH relinquished its role as host school for the South Region, one of four regional sites for the NCAA Tournament.
    Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Most carriers, especially in the United States, have abandoned this risk-management practice.
    ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The secretary has abandoned yet another guardrail by effectively including God in his anti-Iranian war chest.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Long shot Wayne’s Law led early, only to be overtaken in the final turn by 6-5 favorite Nearly, who was passed in mid-stretch by The Puma, who narrowly succumbed to Commandment at the wire.
    Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Luis Daniel Gutierrez Mora, 31, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on Tuesday, CMPD said in a March 25 news release.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.
    Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The custodian of the maison’s some 20,000 documents, fragments, and objects is the effervescent Sophie Rouart, who indulged me in pulling any style of my choosing.
    Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Boston College pledge, junior Maddie Richey surrendered just 1 hit over 4 innings while striking out 8 for Country Day (4-2 overall, 1-0 confernece).
    Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The next inning, after Sheehan surrendered a solo homer to Ketel Marte, Freeland showed off his bat.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Nearly 500 of the agency’s approximately 50,000 officers have quit since the partial shutdown started, the department said.
    John Raby, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Multiple airports have been experiencing greater than 40% callout rates of TSA workers, and nearly 500 of the agency’s nearly 50,000 transportation security officers have quit during the shutdown.
    Kevin Freking, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Try taking a census of the immobilized population of Los Angeles — otherwise known as our civic statues, rendered in metal or stone.
    Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
  • After Colon was shot, cops rendered first aid and called for an ambulance.
    Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In late 2025 the company discontinued much of its product range and brought out a new stable of V series pistols, supposedly designed to resist modification with third-party switches.
    Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Laura also requested respite care for nighttime tube feeds, but the warrant says a doctor told her those would be discontinued because her son was taking medication by mouth without issue.
    Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Gave up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20up. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster