give over

verb

gave over; given over; giving over; gives over

transitive verb

1
: cease
2
3
a
: to yield without restraint or control : abandon
gave themselves over to laughter
b
: to set apart for a particular purpose or use
4
archaic : to pronounce incurable

intransitive verb

British : to cease an activity : stop
told him to give over and let me aloneBrendan Behan

Examples of give over in a Sentence

his wife suggested that he give over working such long hours if it was making him so unhappy gave over his entire savings to an investor
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.
The foundation has given over $550 million since its inception, including over $71 million in Milwaukee. Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025 With up to 24 hours of battery life and a quick-charge function that gives over an hour of playback from a 10-minute top-up, it’s built to keep the music going all day. Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 30 May 2025 Svalbard is governed by a 1920 treaty that gives over 40 countries, including Russia, China and the U.S., equal rights to live and do business there. Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025 The exhibition’s title came to fruition from a speech Catlett gave over five decades ago; underscoring its main themes; standing as a testament to Catlett’s commitment to social change. Okla Jones, Essence, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give over

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give over was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Give over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20over. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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