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

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 give up Pączki, a classic Polish baked good that's similar to a donut, have grown in tradition over the years as people prepare to give up things like sweets for the Lenten season. Megan Shinn, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026 Hubert got two innings of work, giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026 Since then, their peers have not given up calling for justice. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026 Ukraine counters Russia by arguing against giving up territory that Russia hasn't been able to claim during the war. Brittney Melton, NPR, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for give up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give up
Verb
  • His father refused to relinquish his grudge, as Dreher saw it, and his mother always went along with her husband.
    Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Notable sellers include Bruce Springsteen, who in 2021 made a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to relinquish his master recordings and songs for $500 million.
    Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • One is that OpenAI’s board has apparently abandoned its mission of safety.
    Alnoor Ebrahim, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The tech mogul, who helped found OpenAI, sued Altman and the company in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the firm’s founding values and manipulating him into investing in the ChatGPT maker.
    Julia Shapero, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Her elder two sisters died at 10 and 11; her sister Anne at 29; her ne’er-do-well brother Branwell at 31; and Charlotte at the ripe age of 38—all succumbing to tuberculosis.
    Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Inside, rather than succumbing to the pull of an open floor plan, Rai leaned into the home’s distinct zones and cozy nooks, which are evocative of another era.
    Linne Halpern, Architectural Digest, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Concerned about the safety of two children in the home, Aljorna and Sosa-Celis surrendered.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Arizona recently surrendered about a third of its allotted supply of the river through both mandatory and compensated voluntary cuts to keep Lake Mead from going dry.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Elsewhere in boys hockey action, Brian Dilisio delivered a hat trick that proved the difference for Essex Tech, anchoring a 4-1 win over Martha’s Vineyard to take the tournament championship.
    Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Glenn, who became the first woman since Kwan to win three consecutive national titles, will come in as the heavy favorite but Liu, the only member of the team with Olympic experience, and the 18-year-old Levito, a silver medalist at worlds, could deliver just as easily.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But that third period, the girls never quit.
    CBS News, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Del Valle recently attended a choreographers conference in Europe and was surprised to learn that many of them had quit dancing.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Projected as a center fielder in a strong Rangers lineup, his draft-and-hold price may rise into Round 3, with a healthy year yielding a very plausible 25-homer, 25-steal outcome.
    Derek VanRiper, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
  • City data showed that the sweeps under ex-Mayor Eric Adams did not yield any permanent or supportive-housing referrals in more than a year, the news outlet The City reported in December.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Beer that turned green − possibly a chemical reaction with the drugs Dominque Pelicot had been slipping into her drinks and food to render her unconscious for the rapes.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
  • However, last week the environmental groups submitted filings that requested the panel conduct oral arguments before rendering a decision.
    Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give%20up. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

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