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
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 Whenever one tenant leaves, there’s questions in the community in terms of who’s going to take that space. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026 But the process is not seamless, and the sudden loss of authorizations often leaves the once lawful immigrant in limbo. David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 The neutrinos themselves could reveal what the explosion leaves behind — potentially a neutron star or a black hole. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026 Those workers understand what a white-collar reader mostly does not, which is that the moment your knowledge leaves your hands is the moment your leverage leaves with it. Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Bellucci plays Giulio’s mother in an aristocratic Sicilian family that leaves her feeling oppressed. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026 That holds down reported borrowing costs but leaves the government more exposed to inflation and rising rates. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 Addam and Seasmoke escort Syrax, which leaves Caraxes and Daemon to finish off Sheepstealer. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
At the same time, the high temperatures cause excessive water loss from the leaves. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026 The shop is an easy addition to a fall trip through Tucker County, where visitors can also hike, see waterfalls and take in the changing leaves. Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The addition of chalaca (an onion, tomato and pepper relish) adds punch, while crunch from popcorn bits and a kick of minty, tarragon-like huacatay leaves complete the plate. Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026 There’s the Caesar salad, famously invented right here in Tijuana at Caesar’s Restaurante (now operated by the Plasencia family)—and still prepared tableside, whole leaves of romaine dragged through the decadent dressing to order. Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026 Unlike many spices that come from the roots or leaves of plants, saffron comes from the flower’s stigma on the Crocus sativus plant. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Whereas flowering cabbage has broad leaves with smooth edges, flowering kale’s leaves present a more delicate texture and have toothed edges. David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 7 Aug. 2026 Orange spots on plumeria leaves are caused by a rust disease; use a rust-control fungicide. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026 The leaves have a pattern of green, marron, pink, and white in them that is unbelievably gorgeous. Dr. Matthew Lisy, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • Designed to solve dorm room console storage struggles, this officially licensed 5TB Seagate Game Drive lets gamers vault their entire library without deleting titles.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Save room for the S’mores Board, which lets diners roast marshmallows and build dessert right at the table.
    Lisa Greissinger, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Trustee Shulamit Kotzer, 55, was born in Jew Town and spent vacations there after moving to Israel at age 2.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Lorena Basualdo, a luxury travel adviser who specializes in Italian vacations, pointed out that northern gateways have brief summers and limited transport slots.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Historical Center worked with the government of Papua New Guinea to secure all the permissions to legally recover parts of the plane, Fiandt said.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • But preparedness today is uneven because resilience strategies haven’t been fully extended to AI dependencies like identities, data pipelines and agent permissions.
    Rick Vanover, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Under Bondi and Blanche’s leadership, the department has lost thousands of employees through firings, resignations or voluntary departures.
    Alanna Durkin Richer, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Other departures from 60 Minutes include executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, correspondents Cecilia Vega and longtime producer Henry Schuster.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Leaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaves. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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