give up

Definition of give upnext
1
as in to relinquish
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 to surrender
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

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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 give up Garrett Whitlock pitched a perfect seventh inning, and rookie Ryan Watson lasted 1 1/3 innings before giving up the first Tigers run since the sixth, an RBI single by Gleyber Torres, which prompted Cora to call upon his closer. Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026 Ridglan denies mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 in a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges. Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 But Shum couldn’t give up acting. Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 Now, having given up all the success she's fought for in the last four seasons, Deborah is at a crossroads on what to do next, and Ava is ever-faithfully by her side. Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for give up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give up
Verb
  • Min Aung Hlaing, who had attained the rank of senior general, last week relinquished his post of commander-in-chief because the constitution prohibits the president from simultaneously holding the top military position.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Mostly because this lesson required me to relinquish my take-home treats.
    Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The three-block stretch, between 16th and 19th avenues, looks markedly different from just a year ago, when tents, abandoned cars and piles of trash crowded the street and sidewalks.
    Da Lin, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
  • What to read next The USSR withdraws troops from the border with Afghanistan, as Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev abandons invasion plans to focus his resources on the Space Race.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Musical life after death Fela succumbed to complications from AIDS in 1997.
    Ian Brennan, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
  • However, the last three decades have seen that pioneer spirit clash with — and eventually succumb to — the pressures of consolidation and short-term profit, critics say.
    John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • However, the facility agreed in 2025 to surrender its state license to sell dogs as part of a legal settlement tied to an animal cruelty investigation, Dane County officials said in March.
    Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
  • That forces Edwards to surrender the ball, but allows his teammates to play 4-on-3 offense on the backside.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • And the two stars, who at first seem to be playing in different registers with O’Hara launching her punchlines towards the balcony and Byrne aiming for the second row, harmonize to deliver a master class in physical comedy.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Despite Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham delivering a brilliant performance with a playoff career-high 39 points.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nevertheless, Kayla refused to quit.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The town has been operating without a local government since January, when its entire Board of Trustees quit following years of bitter infighting and a violent scuffle that sent one of the trustees to the hospital, The Denver Post reported last month.
    Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • All that tinkering did not yield clean sheets; nor did the occasional switches to a back five, against Arsenal in the League Cup, Wrexham in the FA Cup and at Brighton in the league.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Oxygen proved to be a particularly potent arbiter of the disk’s chemical evolution in the simulations because its fluctuating levels dictate the oxidation state of the resulting minerals, ultimately yielding the three families that mirror the three chondrite varieties.
    Javier Barbuzano, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The two teams were scheduled to play in a rematch Tuesday in Oak Lawn but the game was postponed by a late afternoon storm that rendered the baseball field unplayable.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Some of the company's changes have sparked debate, particularly around its use of beef tallow, which is fat rendered from cows.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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