something has (got) to give

idiom

used to say that someone or something has to stop trying to resist or oppose something
For the strike to be settled, something has (got) to give!

Examples of something has (got) to give in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Shelley Curran, administrative director of the Judicial Council, which sets policy for the state’s courts and backed the bill, said something has to give, as the current system is unfair to low- and moderate-income litigants. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024 The Huskies have dropped six straight while Oregon has lost nine in a row, so something has to give Friday. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 But city officials say something has to give—a message that's being echoed in cities and towns across the country. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 So something has to give, and what builders are doing now is testing the market and asking what is going to work. Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Many economists believe something has to give this year. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 Houston clinched the season series with the Rangers with Monday’s win, and Baker knows something has to give in the final 10 games of the season when Seattle and Texas play seven times. Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 5 Sep. 2023 But Williams is the wife in this scenario, and when faced with having to balance motherhood and a profession as demanding as a professional athlete, something has to give. Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, refinery29.com, 12 Aug. 2022 No, that fate is reserved for another of Liza’s acquaintances (something has to give her a conscience). Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'something has (got) to give.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near something has (got) to give

Cite this Entry

“Something has (got) to give.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/something%20has%20%28got%29%20to%20give. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!