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
On paper, this leaves the driver with an extra 31 miles (50 km) of range just from sitting in the sun – effectively turning the vehicle into a mobile micro-power plant. New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026 The stance leaves other elements of the ceasefire, including the deployment of international forces and any reconstruction of the devastated territory, on hold. ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Instead, Parini is planning, as part of his PhD project, to interview reclusive poet George Mackay Brown (Peter Mullan), who never leaves his hometown in Orkney. Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026 As the season nears, that leaves Jayden Ross still standing, and on the verge of thriving and leading, to carry the banner for his classmates on the court as a UConn senior. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026 That leaves John Wolford (one TD, five INTs) and Jeff Driskel as the best of the bunch. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026 His departure, alongside Robert Lewandowski's, leaves coach Hansi Flick needing a new main striker. Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Jamal Adams leaves on a cart Vikings safety/linebacker Jamal Adams was taken off the field on a cart after going down on a noncontact play and grabbing at his right knee early in the second quarter. CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026 The result leaves Angel City and Seattle both with 24 points in a battle for the eighth spot in the National Women’s Soccer League standings. News Service Reports, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
The leaves and trunks of my magnolia are covered with gray to brown spots up to an inch or more in diameter? Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026 To help improve oxygen levels as the plants put down roots, remove all but the top set of leaves on the stem cutting. Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026 Quanta spoke with Cao about evidence for the programmed theory of aging, what happens at each stage, and why aging mammals are like trees shedding leaves. Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 Spread a 1-inch layer of mulch, such as wood chips or shredded leaves, around the soil’s surface, being careful not to pile it up against the canes to retain moisture. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026 Drain onion and add to bowl along with 2 large celery stalks, any leaves reserved, thinly sliced, one 15-oz. Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026 Fall flowers and mushrooms figure in the diet, too, and some trees begin budding soon after their leaves fall. Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 Reading the forest from fossil leaves As paleobotanists, my colleagues and I use plant fossils to identify which species once lived in a place. Regan E. Dunn, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaves
Verb
  • The aircraft abandons the familiar tube-and-wing layout used by Boeing and Airbus.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Sophie Cunningham/transgender debate has no easy right or wrong // FIFA bows to pressure from Europe boycott, abandons private-equity plan // History suggests Miami Dolphins may be surprise team in ’26 // Cancel that intro.
    Greg Cote August 16, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And earlier this week, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for June showed a slight pickup in hiring and quits (an indicator of employee confidence) while layoffs were essentially unchanged.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The band quits when the director releases a swarm of bees onto the set (the original clip featured dogs), only to be replaced by look-alikes.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In each case, a client hands the platform a problem, and its agentic AI takes it from intake to resolution—collecting records, preparing filings and bringing in a licensed advocate whenever required.
    Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Rejecting the referendum potentially hands Republicans another congressional seat.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • PennEnvironment says the Philadelphia Water Department dumps over 12 billion gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater a year into the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers and their tributaries.
    Joe Brandt, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Using the same spoofing method as in the Silver attack, the attacker dumps Chrome's process memory and extracts the master key that protects the passkey's private key.
    Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Reading lets children test out challenging, or frightening, situations in their imaginations.
    Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The pairing lets Viu’s footprint across Southeast Asia carry TrueVisions Now’s expanding library to new audiences in the region.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Typically, families would flock to the area for summer beach vacations, but the ongoing turmoil has kept tourists away.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Plus, the simple design is great for the office, vacations, or casual errands.
    Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The change reduced the number of approvals and permissions that data center developers need to seek from city officials, essentially fast-tracking all potential data center projects in Independence.
    Ilana Arougheti Updated August 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Districts should also create clear, renewable educational-use permissions for students whose coursework or extracurricular activities require personal devices.
    Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • One of the original nine members of the band, Wilson’s exit comes after the departures of Craig Jones in 2023 and Chris Fehn in 2019, as well as the deaths of Joey Jordison in 2021 and Paul Gray in 2010.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Key departures include Ferran Torres to PSG for €50 million, netting Barça €40 million, and Ansu Fati's €11 million move to Monaco.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Leaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaves. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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