give up

verb

gave up; given up; giving up; gives up
Synonyms of give upnext

transitive verb

1
: to yield control or possession of : surrender
forced to give up his job
2
: to desist from : abandon
refused to give up her efforts
3
: to declare incurable or insoluble
4
a
: to abandon (oneself) to a particular feeling, influence, or activity
gave himself up to despair
b
: to devote to a particular purpose or use
5
: to despair of seeing
we'd given you up
6
: to allow (a hit or run in baseball) while pitching

intransitive verb

: to cease doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat : quit
often used with on
don't give up on the project
see also:

Examples of give up in a Sentence

was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment I hope you won't give up playing the piano.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Diaz went five innings and gave up just four hits with a walk and five strikeouts, and fellow senior Joseph Hendren tossed two scoreless innings in relief. Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026 Kikuchi didn’t even give up a hit in any of his other four innings, but the damage had been done. Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026 Jovani Moran gave up Baltimore’s sixth home run on a solo shot by Coby Mayo in the fifth, but otherwise the Red Sox lefty got things under control and allowed one run on three hits over 2 2/3 innings. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026 Peralta gave up another run in the sixth before the Mets went to the bullpen for left-hander Sean Manaea, who got the last out. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for give up

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give up was in the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Give up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/give%20up. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

give up

verb
1
2
: to abandon (oneself) to a feeling, influence, or activity
3

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