1
as in to abandon
to cause to remain behind
you can leave your lunch in the refrigerator while we're outside starry-eyed lovers who promise never to leave one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to quit
to give up (a job or office)
he left his job in the city and moved out into the country
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
why don't you leave your watch with me while you swim?
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5
as in to dump
to end a usually intimate relationship with
is there ever a good way to leave a lover?
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6
as in to let
to give permission to
aw, leave him come
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1
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended
the soldier was on leave for three days before having to report back to base
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2
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something
the editor gave the reporters leave to follow up on their initial investigation of the senator's fund-raising practices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in departure
the act of leaving a place
the party was clearly dying down, and it was time to take our leave
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leave
Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
While many leave college intending to return, few ultimately do.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Wipe it onto the leaves of the weed.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leave
Verb
Instead, a number of chimpanzees took off running, leaving Sandel and fellow researcher John Mitani puzzled.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
While many leave college intending to return, few ultimately do.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
The leaves rival Jannik Sinner a huge -230 betting favorite to win the men’s side this year -- and secure a career Grand Slam -- well ahead of Alexander Zverev and aging stalwart Novak Djokovic.
—Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Wipe it onto the leaves of the weed.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
-
If the Eagles don’t fully abandon that style, Campbell could fit in nicely.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Just a few years later, in the fall of 2019, mountaineer Garrett Madison abandoned an Everest expedition due to another serac causing unsafe conditions in the Khumbu Icefall.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Herrera’s single off reliever Steven Okert scored one of the runners Burrows bequeathed.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Upon her death in 2022, the Crown Jewels were bequeathed to her son, King Charles.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Research published last year on Japanese nursing homes found that robot adoption reduced worker quit rates and was associated with better care quality.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
While Rose and Blue had both worked for the same software company, Rose had quit her job, and Blue was expected to return to work on April 1, but did not.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After a bit of back-and-forth, one of the crew members grabbed a plastic bag and handed it to a tall, radiantly handsome Canadian actor named Marc.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The scrums and after-whistle activity that defined the first period of Game 2 and much of Game 1 simply were not there in Game 3, with the Lightning seemingly content to play between the whistles in an effort to avoid handing the Canadiens power plays in bunches.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Level 5 accident dumped radioactive contamination across Europe and it is thought that traces of isotope iodine-131 may have caused several hundred cancer diagnoses.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Next to it was one of the vast open spaces where the city of Ottawa carted and dumped the snow removed from city streets—a vast mountain range of gray-white that survived into the heat of early summer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And let’s not get started on neighborhood historic preservation gatekeepers where, say, using the wrong balusters on your porch can set off World War III with your neighbors.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Mariah Carey lets her hair down at the Tiffany & Co.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Faced with a choice between keeping its existing three-night-stay minimum or obtaining state permission for a cap on the total number of vacation rentals allowed in Encinitas, a majority of the City Council opted to stick with the current night-stay requirement.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, today Uranus enters a part of your chart to stay for six years, encouraging impulsive vacations, surprising romance and unexpected children.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some travelers have even tucked it under the headrest of the seat in front of them (with the passenger’s permission).—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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