give

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as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another she gave her cold to me, and now I'm so sick that I can barely get out of bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb give contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of give are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms
gave her a ride on a pony
give my love to your mother

When is it sensible to use afford instead of give?

Although the words afford and give have much in common, afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade
a development that affords us some hope

When can bestow be used instead of give?

While the synonyms bestow and give are close in meaning, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is confer a more appropriate choice than give?

While in some cases nearly identical to give, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of give?

The synonyms donate and give are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When might present be a better fit than give?

The meanings of present and give largely overlap; however, present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

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 give Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 The result gives your look an effortless dose of cool when tucked into anything from black jeans to colorful wide-leg trousers. Clint Davis, People.com, 1 July 2025 By contrast, people given placebo injections lost around 200 grams. Rachel Fieldhouse, Scientific American, 1 July 2025 And there is a robust Italian influence, one that is unsurprising given several centuries of Italian migration to the city. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
Verb
  • After sharing her frustrations on social media, White was able to get 10 chairs donated from the First United Methodist Church and eventually signs were put up.
    Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
  • Robyn and John Horn of Little Rock have donated 105 works of art from their private collection to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the art center’s executive director announced Monday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Ionic technology, on the other hand, speeds up dry time and cuts frizz (especially helpful in humid weather) but can leave fine hair looking too sleek or limp if overused.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 July 2025
  • Others simply think that James will play out the final season on his contract and either leave for another team or retire next offseason.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • As a decisive moment in Santa Barbara’s history, the earthquake also offered the opportunity to reshape its look.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
  • This compact device fits on my keychain and offers instant peace of mind.
    Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • When stress hit, the house of cards collapsed, and failures cascaded like dominoes, wiping out billions in customer funds.
    Roomy Khan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • That’s how a building managed to go without a critical earthquake retrofit for more than a century before its brick walls collapsed in 2003.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • Nobody complains about the way the health care industry forces us to pay high prices for low-quality service.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
  • Tax revenues generated by the project are paying for the millions in infrastructure repair.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt both have dance backgrounds, and Affleck has long expressed her desire to appear on the ABC show.
    Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 1 July 2025
  • Textile executives sounded particularly cautious in expressing their views.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Officials say that deterrent is why cases of ineligible people casting ballots are incredibly rare — a fact that's become increasingly apparent as more and more states devote resources to uncovering the few people that slip through the cracks every election.
    Miles Parks, NPR, 28 June 2025
  • For instance, using scheduling tools or features to automate social media posts and email campaigns enables marketers to devote additional time to more important activities.
    Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • One reason the Twins were so down and out was a heinous 17-game stretch by the pitching staff, which yielded nine runs eight times.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • This was because the size of the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia had yielded 50 percent more product than the previous year.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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