give

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as in to yield
to produce as revenue a company that consistently gives $30 million in profits to the owner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to transmit
to cause (something) to pass from one to another she gave her cold to me, and now I'm so sick that I can barely get out of bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb give contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of give are afford, bestow, confer, donate, and present. While all these words mean "to convey to another as a possession," give, the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

give alms
gave her a ride on a pony
give my love to your mother

When is it sensible to use afford instead of give?

Although the words afford and give have much in common, afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

the trees afford shade
a development that affords us some hope

When can bestow be used instead of give?

While the synonyms bestow and give are close in meaning, bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

bestow unwanted advice

When is confer a more appropriate choice than give?

While in some cases nearly identical to give, confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

confer an honorary degree

In what contexts can donate take the place of give?

The synonyms donate and give are sometimes interchangeable, but donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

donate a piano to the orphanage

When might present be a better fit than give?

The meanings of present and give largely overlap; however, present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

present an award

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 give One day after President Donald Trump threatened to revoke O'Donnell's U.S. citizenship following her move to Ireland earlier this year, DeGeneres - who also reportedly fled the country after Trump was elected president - gave her fellow comedian a public shout out. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025 My mother gave me a copy of The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Matsuo Basho. Rebecca Chace july 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025 The Dallas Mavericks gave fans their first look at Cooper Flagg through the first two games of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025 The ranges are sourced from quarterly tax documents, and employers must give their permission for the department to release their names. Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for give
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
Verb
  • The report highlights that to date, the Certified B-Corp company has donated 1,500,000 trees and reforested nine million square meters.
    Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • Matthew Suarez, the CBP’s acting director of field operations in Baltimore, urged the public to donate money or time to animal shelters in a post on social media platform X.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Others simply think that James will play out the final season on his contract and either leave for another team or retire next offseason.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
  • Commission leader Thomas Bullitt later left Kentucky and did not return.
    Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • Golf offers a social structure for meeting people—whether through memberships, public courses, or group outings.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • Managers set the lineups but only get to offer input on the starting pitchers.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • In handcuffs, Miyake collapsed momentarily outside.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • Together, they’re poised to do something far more radical: collapse the traditional SaaS model and usher in a new era of decentralized, intelligent orchestration.
    Deepinder Singh Sethi, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Tax revenues generated by the project are paying for the millions in infrastructure repair.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2025
  • And pay special attention to those easy-to-wear Madewell barrel jeans, which are truly beloved among Glamour editors.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • President Donald Trump has expressed his support for the collective defense offered by NATO in a reversal of his previous criticism of the alliance.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Our conversation moved on to the impact of the tariffs on the U.S. wine industry, and Jim expressed his concern over this situation.
    Liz Thach, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Alaska ranks third, with residents devoting about 14 percent of their monthly income to premiums.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
  • Now, Koller is devoting much of her time to her lifelong passion for blending biology and machine learning as CEO and founder of insitro, a drug discovery and development company.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • That said, there are signs that state and national efforts to address the overdose crisis may be yielding early results.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
  • During his career, 247Sports states Moore had yielded just 18 catches on 36 targets for an impressive 50% clip.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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