as in surrender
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1
as in relinquishing
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
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2
as in abandoning
to stop doing (something) permanently
I hope you won't give up playing the piano
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3
as in succumbing
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
with the prospect of a renewed enemy attack, the regiment decided to simply give up
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4
as in indulging
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of giving up
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
The finale ended on that cliffhanger, with Simon giving up his anonymity as a superpowered person, as well as his successful acting career, all to save Trevor.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Harbaugh hired him to coach the Chargers’ safeties in 2024, and their defense emerged as the NFL’s stingiest in the red zone, giving up touchdowns only 45% of the time.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
This would likely mean freezing the conflict along the existing front lines and essentially giving up on trying to regain its land while the ceasefire is in place.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The numbers have followed Parker as well, as his secondary has been a part of a top-eight passing defense in three of the past five seasons, including the Eagles giving up the fewest passing yards in the NFL in their 2024 Super Bowl season.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
But instead of giving up or ignoring what’s ahead, those of us who love and value the arts and humanities should take that as a challenge—and prove him wrong.
—Benjamin Wolff, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But experts say one small switch, washing in cold water, can cut energy use significantly without giving up clean clothes or that fresh, comfortable feel.
—Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
But neither Salt nor Pepa are giving up.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
One person who’s not giving up that information is Kylie Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s sister-in-law, who was questioned about the date of the big day in a recent interview.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
The finale ended on that cliffhanger, with Simon giving up his anonymity as a superpowered person, as well as his successful acting career, all to save Trevor.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Harbaugh hired him to coach the Chargers’ safeties in 2024, and their defense emerged as the NFL’s stingiest in the red zone, giving up touchdowns only 45% of the time.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
This would likely mean freezing the conflict along the existing front lines and essentially giving up on trying to regain its land while the ceasefire is in place.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The numbers have followed Parker as well, as his secondary has been a part of a top-eight passing defense in three of the past five seasons, including the Eagles giving up the fewest passing yards in the NFL in their 2024 Super Bowl season.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
But instead of giving up or ignoring what’s ahead, those of us who love and value the arts and humanities should take that as a challenge—and prove him wrong.
—Benjamin Wolff, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But experts say one small switch, washing in cold water, can cut energy use significantly without giving up clean clothes or that fresh, comfortable feel.
—Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
But neither Salt nor Pepa are giving up.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for giving up
Noun
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That framing—control versus surrender—runs through Kapur’s entire philosophy.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In September, Beijing’s Tiananmen Square hosted China’s biggest ever military parade to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War II.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Goodbye Amazon Go Amazon is abandoning its homegrown physical grocery stores, known as Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh, a humbling end to an effort that began almost ten years ago as the online giant sought to expand its retail dominance into the brick-and-mortar world.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the sudden thaw in relations with Washington has fueled suspicion among hard-line chavistas that Rodríguez is abandoning the movement’s deeply anti-American ideology.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After falling behind the times and succumbing to foreclosure, Buckhead’s largest office complex is about to undergo some major changes.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The lack of bone healing at the clavicle shows that the boy likely suffered with his injuries for days before succumbing to them.—
Sara Novak,
Scientific American,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Animal Collective member’s first solo album is a personal, psychedelic trip indulging his fascination with the hurdy-gurdy.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
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Battambang province is Cambodia’s agricultural heartland and, aside from indulging at the local markets, one of the best ways to experience its culinary heritage is getting into the countryside.—
Vicky Smith,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In response, Moreno signed a voluntary relinquishment of Spa Bar’s massage establishment license in July.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
10 Dec. 2025
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But in 2022, when people returned to their offices or got new jobs and work schedules changed, the San Clemente shelter relinquishments jumped 87%, with 131 animals dropped off.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The agents walk away without rendering aid.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
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Gaza’s health system was decimated in the war, rendering advanced surgical procedures out of reach.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lee was arrested after surrendering to authorities in December 2021.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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One week earlier, Campbell had issues containing Chargers rushers, surrendering a sack and five pressures in the wild-card round.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Giving up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/giving%20up. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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