leaves 1 of 2

Definition of leavesnext
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

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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
Shulman rarely leaves New York to do theater anymore, but the timing in this case was ideal, as her New York apartment is undergoing big renovations. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026 This leaves a leader with no way to identify their own blind spots or course correct. Dr. Samantha Madhosingh, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 The narrow strip of water off Iran’s coast is the route through which a fifth of the world’s oil typically leaves the Persian Gulf and heads to customers worldwide, and the conflict has largely halted shipping traffic. ABC News, 26 July 2026 The Air Force pilot and Auburn graduate leaves behind his wife and three young children – 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 26 July 2026 His teammates - more akin to bodyguards this summer - do the dirty work, which leaves Messi to focus solely on unlocking the opposition’s defense with his unrivaled quality. Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026 The City Council is in recess for August, which leaves no future meeting for nominees to be appointed before September. Nik Hunder, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026 Every quantum operation leaves a unique fingerprint The researchers also developed a fully device-independent version of the protocol. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026 His contract leaves open the possibility of playing for two more seasons. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 July 2026
Noun
Needless to say, there are only a handful of milkweed leaves left in the yard that remain within their reach. Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026 The leaves were also quite yellow, which suggests a nutrient deficiency. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026 When harvesting mint, do not pick leaves randomly but cut back shoot terminals to a pair of leaves opposite one another. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 July 2026 Serve them on burger buns or wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves. Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 23 July 2026 This reflective occasion is illustrated in a pair of bright images, a landscape of sturdy trees studded with golden leaves. Tahneer Oksman, NPR, 23 July 2026 Remove and discard the outer two to three layers of leaves and wash inner leaves under running water. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026 Sweep the porch and steps to remove any leaves, lawn clippings, mulch, or other debris that can trap moisture around the posts. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 July 2026 Add 1 small bunch collard greens, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and bright green, about 4 minutes. Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaves
Verb
  • Pantani, as so often in his career, crashes and abandons the race.
    Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • When Moore finally abandons the pretense and focuses in earnest on his presidential ambitions, the damage to Maryland will be incalculable and likely irreparable.
    Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • Dru-Ann quits her job Drama over Dru-Ann’s career is pervasive both on the page and onscreen.
    Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026
  • Operating under the assumption that Platner quits the race in the coming days, Republicans are planning a negative ad blitz to undermine Collins' next opponent immediately.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Rehearsing forgiveness, even by just imagining it, builds a self-awareness muscle whose payoff reaches well past any single grievance, at work or anywhere else life hands you one.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Merino’s second late winner in as many games puts Spain into the final four with a 2-1 win, and hands a point to the experts, Wilfred and the Algo.
    The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • At one point, Jiavani, alone in Room 1 for a round of Count the Rice, just dumps all the rice into her Room 2 mocktail and drinks it.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • News 12 reported that the boy's body had been discovered at a waste collection center in Stamford, having been brought there by a truck that dumps trash and recyclables there.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • By restoring full expensing for equipment purchases and research and development, the law lets businesses invest in growing instead of taxing those investments.
    Kent Strang, Boston Herald, 26 July 2026
  • Perhaps the Codex Micro’s most interesting feature is a rotary dial that lets the user adjust the agent’s reasoning level depending on the difficulty of the task.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • The two spent nearly all their time together — playing baseball, riding bikes and playing in the street, taking family vacations and making memories that lasted into adulthood.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • After narrowing it all down, these are the 10 travel outfits that earned a spot in my suitcase for Europe and the rest of my summer vacations.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • The Rangers have made no such permissions for Palmeiro, despite a resume that is the color of 1,000 rainbows, including pitch black.
    Mac Engel July 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • An agent gains the ability to reach a system, but every request still passes through that system’s existing permissions and leaves its existing audit trail.
    Derek Williams, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • The departures of McDuffie and Watson left a significant void, one the Chiefs hoped to fill in the NFL Draft.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
  • The organization was building something from the ground up, and their departures were part of that fresh start.
    Scott Powers, New York Times, 24 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Leaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaves. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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