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
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
The agency advises drivers slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of space between them and the car ahead.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Feb. 2026
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
Vicky Waters, a spokesperson for the Probation Department, confirmed a staff member was placed on administrative leave.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leave
Verb
Photos and video posted Saturday showed cars driving over a flyover joint that appears to have separated, leaving a gap in the roadway surface.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
The agency advises drivers slow down, use their headlights and leave plenty of space between them and the car ahead.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
If left untreated, scale can cause yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and eventually death.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
Vicky Waters, a spokesperson for the Probation Department, confirmed a staff member was placed on administrative leave.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
-
All three figures were once associated with the regime’s internal movement for incremental reform; all three long ago abandoned that stance to advocate the wholesale transformation of the system instead.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Despite the relatively recent creation of the Government Oversight Committee, the legislature has largely abandoned its oversight role.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Complicating matters further, Charles has bequeathed his school to his frenemy Magneto.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Given to Princess Mary as a wedding gift by the County of Lincoln, it was later bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of figure skating, Alysa Liu of the United States, who quit the sport after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reclaimed her career on her own joyous terms and won the gold medal in the women’s competition on Thursday at the Milan-Cortina Games.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
For those trips where winter refuses to quit, this cozy knit set is the answer.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
No charges were filed against Ramos-Caballero and he was never arrested by the Boise Police Department, who handed him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the day of the incident.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The City Council has not voted on the project since handing it off in October 2024 and did not weigh in on the plans before their release.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The storm arrived as predicted and by Tuesday morning had dumped several feet of fresh, unstable snow.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The Bulls have lost 10 of their last 11 games, a result directly tied to their decision to dump the majority of their players on expiring contracts at the trade deadline.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Doug wouldn’t let his body get him down, although Lord knows his body tried.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Take your foot off the accelerator and let your speed drop gradually.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Give yourself a mini vacation today.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
22 Feb. 2026
-
An 11-year-old girl from Rochester, Massachusetts has died in an avalanche while on vacation with her family in Brighton, Utah.—
Brandon Truitt,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
According to a report from Axios, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to ByteDance, accusing the company of distributing and reproducing its intellectual property through the new AI tool without permission.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The legal action also seeks permission to appoint outside counsel selected by the Auditor’s Office to Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG) to represent them – something Attorney General Andrea Campbell says DiZoglio does not have the authority to do.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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