Synonyms of giving way

giving way

phrase

present participle of give way

1

as in collapsing

to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure

That old chair is going to give way soon.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• collapsing
• going out
• going
• caving (in)
• tumbling
• crumpling
• giving
• buckling
• yielding
• melting
• dying
• shattering
• crumbling
• giving out
• foundering
• imploding
• melting down
• crashing
• breaking down
• failing
• bursting
• breaking
• flattening
• conking (out)
• snapping
• splitting
• popping
• smashing
• stalling
• cracking
• deflating
• splintering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rising
• swelling
• inflating

2

as in retreating

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)

They were urged to give way but chose to stand their ground.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• retreating
• withdrawing
• pulling out
• falling back
• losing ground
• giving ground
• backing away
• dropping back
• retiring
• receding
• fleeing
• evacuating
• pulling away
• flying
• backing down
• climbing down
• leaving
• bowing out
• shrinking
• chickening (out)
• recoiling
• flinching
• departing
• detaching
• going
• abandoning
• backtracking
• disengaging
• vacating
• disentangling
• backpedaling
• quitting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advancing
• facing
• confronting
• daring
• defying
• braving
• breasting
• brazening
• outbraving
• bearding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of giving way

The war has unfolded in fits and starts, with bursts of overwhelming American firepower repeatedly giving way to promises that diplomacy might bring it to an end. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Kevin Terrell / Getty Images Earlier this week, Harbaugh announced that starting quarterback Justin Herbert and the first-team unit will play for just one opening series before giving way to backups. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Be sure to plan at least one evening on-property to catch the sunset, when the mountains are painted in shades of pink and purple before giving way to a sky filled with twinkling stars. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026

The Black Crowes broke out with a frisky cover of this Otis Redding tune just as hair metal was giving way to grunge. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

As more containers float through the supply chain, global logistics networks have failed to expand at the same pace, giving way to port congestion. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026

Injectables and biologics are driving growth The golden age of oral blockbuster pills like Lipitor or aspirin is giving way to complex biologics, monoclonal antibodies and genetic therapies like Keytruda and Dupixent. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

But increasingly, those options are giving way to student communities that offer upscale apartment living. — Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Elle takes place as Elle Woods turns 16 years old and is set in 1995—the same year that the world was introduced to Cher Horowitz in Clueless, a year when grunge was giving way to minimalism in fashion and eyebrows were thin and highly arched. — Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026