leaves 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of leave
1
2
as in bequeaths
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 quits
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

leaves

2 of 2

noun

plural of leave
1
as in vacations
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 leaves
Verb
Back in 1962, Lilly leaves Juniper Hill with a higher dose of medication, which seems like the best-case scenario given the threat of lobotomy in the show’s opening titles. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025 The key is to fold the scarf over itself to create volume and to look for a lace trim that leaves the hem frayed, so as not to look too formal. Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 9 Nov. 2025 The return of Goldin’s body leaves four deceased hostages still in Gaza. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025 This scenic singletrack swoops through the juniper and pine fringe surrounding mighty Courthouse and leaves the crowds behind. Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 8 Nov. 2025 The ending of the film certainly leaves it open to the possibility. Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025 And if no bus runs to your destination, there might be a dolmuş, a yellow van that runs on a fixed route, but stops whenever a passenger requests it and leaves whenever the van is full. Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025 That leaves many people like Sharikova-Sudarma facing difficult choices. Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025 But that likely leaves Cease headed for a new team in free agency. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
Organic mulches include straw, pine needles, wood chips and bark, shredded leaves, and layers of newspaper. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025 The roots anchor in the soil, providing a firm foundation for stems, branches, and leaves. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025 After the leaves drop from the shrub, the stems are covered with bright red berries. Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Nov. 2025 Delicate purple, white, or lavender-pink flowers are embedded among tiny, glistening leaves. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025 According to the Farmer’s Almanac, which covers weather forecasts, gardening and other topics, leaves can change their color from mid-September through early November. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025 Sprawled atop a West Charlotte hill surrounded by the autumn sea of red, gold and green leaves lies Big Pete. Khadejeh Nikouyeh, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025 With leaves still clinging to the trees, Arne Slot had overseen four straight defeats, prompting searching questions to be asked of the head coach, the club’s summer transfer strategy, senior players and everything in between. The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Garnish with pineapple leaves and/or mint. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaves
Verb
  • Even the mainstream studio movie One Battle After Another hinges on the intimate drama of caretaking, the story unspooling after a woman abandons her infant.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
  • As in the novel, Victor eventually abandons his creature, a rejection that leads to more violence.
    Fred Topel, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The actor went on to marry model and actress Camille Grammer (née Donatacci) in 1997 and the couple welcomed two kids together, Mason and Jude, before calling it quits in 2010.
    Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
  • After more than 13 years serving the South County community at the corner of Golden Lantern and Del Prado, StillWater Spirits and Sounds is calling it quits.
    Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • He is whisked away from a charity basketball event to his Air Force One, where Lieutenant Commander Robert Reeves (Jonah Hauer-King) hands him the Black Bag and instructs him to choose which retaliatory strike option to approve.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Sullivan then hands Cameron his radio and tells him to take Jones to the medic truck.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Brad Pitt is a klutzy errand boy for the mob sent to Mexico to retrieve a priceless pistol with a magical backstory; Julia Roberts is his long-suffering girlfriend who angrily dumps him upon hearing the news.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
  • But then that tree dumps a huge load of leaves onto your property.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This week, the Supreme Court itself sounded skeptical that the IEEPA emergency statute lets a president unilaterally tax the world.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • To combat some of these bias issues, Giga is working with open-source and multilingual LLMs and has developed a feature that lets customers opt into talking in a native language.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Supporters of laxer rules have argued that Nantucket’s year-round residents need the additional income from renting out properties and that the island should be incentivized to provide lodging for the tourists who come for vacations, weddings and weekend jaunts.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
  • His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations.
    Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The final shape of Fence was to be determined by whatever land-use permissions were granted to the Christos.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • If an app asks for permissions that do not match its purpose, like a calculator wanting your location or a flashlight needing camera access, that is a major red flag.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Grande has notably made some departures from her primarily pink, white and pastel wardrobe pieces in recent days, going more Elphaba than Glinda with certain looks.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
  • But the Eagles expected to evolve — and needed to, given their defensive departures in the offseason.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaves. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

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