give

verb

ˈgiv How to pronounce give (audio)
Definition of givenext
1
as in to donate
to make a present of thanked all the tutors who generously gave their time to help students after school

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2
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another gave my camera to my father to hold while I went swimming

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3
as in to offer
to bring before the public in performance or exhibition the author will give a reading from her latest work at 7:00 p.m.

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4
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure they loaded the shopping cart with so much food it gave under all the weight

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5
as in to pay
to hand over or use up in payment I wouldn't give a nickel for such a run-down car

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6
as in to express
to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) she gave her opinion on the matter very firmly and unmistakably

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7
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention totally gave himself to his studies in the hopes of winning a scholarship for next year

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8
as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

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9
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption gave him my e-mail address

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10
as in to run by
to put before another for acceptance or consideration she gave the committee her grant proposal

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11
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

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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 She is expected to give her acceptance speech remotely from Nashville. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025 Comey was indicted last month on federal charges of giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding for allegedly lying to Congress during testimony in 2020. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025 Large language models and machine learning technologies are built on human data, operate from human prompts, and give human-like responses. —Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 8 Oct. 2025 Alain Paul’s ballet background nourishes his collections and gives a very clear and compelling storytelling angle. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
  1. donate
  2. leave
  3. offer
  4. collapse
  5. pay
  6. express
  7. devote
  8. yield
Verb
  • The sign — fixed high on the outside wall of the black and red painted concrete block building — was to be removed before demolition and donated to the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/ Museum under the requirements of the demolition contract.
    — Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Gleaners from a local anti-hunger group harvested some of the crops to donate to nearby food banks and shelters.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
Definition of donate
Verb
  • In analyzing dozens of hours of audio and video footage of public and private speaking events for McMahon’s appointees, as well as their writings, ProPublica found that a recurring theme is the desire to enable more families to leave public schools.
    — Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Varying injuries suffered by Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck leave several starters in flux entering the offseason, while rookies Connelly Early and Payton Tolle pitched well at the end of the season.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of leave
Verb
  • The administration has offered signing bonuses, student loan forgiveness and large salaries to those willing to join ICE.
    — Juan Cordoba, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Check out our latest digital and print subscription offers here.
    — Nashville Tennessean, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
Definition of offer
Verb
  • Only the structures that were already gravitationally bound together at that moment, not including the structures that were still collapsing and contracting on their way to becoming gravitationally bound, will actually be able to hold together.
    — Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Confidence notably collapsed during the divisive 2016 presidential campaign, the polling service says, with the highest reading in the past decade being 45% in 2018.
    — Dave Smith, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • One suggested paying for outside services, such as privatized tutoring.
    — Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Most other federal workers, however, do not get paid, even if they are deemed essential and required to work.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
    — Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Dimitrijevic expressed concerns about the timing of the substitute ordinance, which would require council members to vote on it prior to voting on the budget for 2026.
    — Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of express
Verb
  • Newspapers, both local and national, devoted not just reviews but columns and opinion pieces to Stein and Tender Buttons.
    — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
  • By the mid-nineteen-sixties, Africa had been transformed from a patchwork of colonies to one of mostly independent countries, each devoted, at least in theory, to self-determination.
    — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of devote
Verb
  • Creditors face uncertainty as assets may be sold piecemeal and contested, potentially yielding less than an orderly liquidation—especially given FSS’s significant long-term liabilities.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • That will yield the organization some fraction of the $174,000 salary paid to congressmen.
    — Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of yield

Phrases Containing give

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gits
give
give a hang
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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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