leave 1 of 2

1
2
as in to bequeath
to give by means of a will I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
6

leave

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3

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 leave
Verb
If Justin Vernon leaves Bon Iver, who’d replace him? Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025 Crews from the California Highway Patrol are responding to a helicopter crash Monday night that shut down eastbound Highway 50 in East Sacramento, leaving multiple people injured. Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
With a daintiness at odds with its 120 kilos, the bear extricates its wrist from the tie and calmly takes its leave. Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025 He was put on administrative leave in connection with the bomb threat hoax. Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
  • The floater that has been such a huge part of his game abandoned him.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Twenty years prior to the present day of the movie, Ray Stoker (Day-Lewis) abandoned his family to live off the grid in a hut in the woods after a scarring incident during the conflict, which pitted Catholics against Protestants within Northern Ireland, and union loyalists against republicans.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There are also wooden pews made for the school’s Bond Chapel and 72,000 glass slides from the art-history department, all of which were bequeathed to Gates over the years.
    Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Following her death in 2022, the tiara was bequeathed to Queen Camilla.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even down 14-0, the Jaguars never quit.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Russell—toying with the idea of quitting acting for good—jumped coasts.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His 1-0, two-out fastball to Hernández, though, ended up in the right-field stands, handing the Dodgers their first lead.
    Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Individual disposable towels and/or hand drying device not provided at lavatory or hand sink.
    Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Coach Joanne is dead set on turning things around this season despite having just been brutally dumped by her girlfriend and co-founder of the team.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Ross took over for Joe Maddon, who five years earlier replaced Rick Renteria in a prior example of the Cubs dumping a first-time manager for a more experienced, accomplished hand.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • To facilitate even heating, let food rest for a few minutes after cooking.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But let’s see what happens when Mississippi State takes its show on the road in a game of significance (sorry, Southern Miss).
    Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Martha Stewart is a culinary icon – but don’t expect to find her in the kitchen on vacation.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • With five interior pockets and an extra two inches of expansion in each suitcase, these bags are super spacious and ideal for longer trips or family vacations.
    Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Might he be granted permission to visit her?
    Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Disruption doesn’t wait for permission.
    HBR Editors, Harvard Business Review, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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