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 The show is set to give the music competition reality genre the Love is Blind treatment by forming a pop group without the members meeting face-to-face. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 15 May 2025 The search operation has included officers knocking on doors and requesting residents to give DNA samples to see if there are any relations to the babies. Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 15 May 2025 Each team is given an equal budget and must strategically acquire the most valuable prizes, all while aiming to reach the final round and claim the grand prize. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2025 While disruptive to e-commerce, the end of de minimis treatment of Chinese goods could give a boost to retailers less reliant on e-commerce or on Chinese manufacturing. Helen Reid, USA Today, 4 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
Verb
  • Fossil fuel interests donated heavily to the Trump election campaign and conservative political groups in the 2024 election, according to data compiled by the nonprofit campaign finance research group OpenSecrets.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
  • But after one of their companies donated $5 million to Donald Trump’s second inaugural, their SEC troubles miraculously disappeared.
    Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • What is left of the two helicopters — which were revealed to be Robinson R-44 models — have been sent to the city of Turku for investigation, according to the Estonia outlet.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • With 5:43 left, Bobby McMann set up Max Pacioretty with an insurance goal.
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The episode offered clarity on what happened between the two leads after Ellie (Bella Ramsey) learned what Joel did last season.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • The moral dilemma faced by Osama, as Abou Sami offers him freedom in exchange for a cut, feels suddenly interrupted by each injection of the wider world, instead of the two being interwoven.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • After his 4-foot putt went in during the one-hole playoff against Justin Rose, McIlroy threw his golf club in the air and collapsed to the ground.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 15 May 2025
  • This is often not helped when an investment collapses or defaults, and commentators online and other advisory companies increase client doubts.
    Adam Fayed, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • That hasn’t stopped companies from throwing millions of dollars in bonuses and pay packages at star researchers, according to seven sources familiar with the matter.
    Anna Tong, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Sarah Anderson has a strong point of view on U.S. CEO pay.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • During arguments before the Supreme Court, several of the justices expressed concerns about the use of nationwide injunctions, but John Sauer, President Donald Trump’s solicitor general, faced pushback this week about whether limiting injunctions was appropriate in this case.
    Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • Keep telling the stories and keep expressing yourself.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Islam recommends devoting no more than 5% of your portfolio to thematic ETFs, for example.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 23 May 2025
  • Regardless of high prices, Bulgari’s Creative Director Lucia Silvestri has devoted herself to making the pieces more wearable, articulated, and comfortable on the body.
    Daisy Shaw-Ellis, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • But then the bullpen yielded eight runs over the final three innings and the A’s lost, 10-5.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025
  • The shift in setting, from the States to Sicily, should yield evocative and, at least for a video game, new sights: The story itself begins in the Sicilian sulfur mines before whisking players through a rural landscape of pretty villages and aromatic lemon groves.
    Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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