Definitions

give-up

[giv-uhp] / ˈgɪvˌʌp /

NOUN

refund

Synonyms

STRONGEST

allowance compensation discount kickback payment rebate reimbursement repayment restitution

STRONG

acquittance consolation discharge remuneration retribution return satisfaction settlement

WEAK

giveback money back

Antonyms

STRONGEST

penalty

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for give up?

Give up most commonly means to quit—to stop trying. Sometimes, it means to stop doing something, such as a habit or activity, as in I want to give up smoking. Close synonyms for this sense are quit and stop. More formal words cease and abstain. An informal term is swear off. In specific situations, such as a game or competition, to give up is to resign, retire, withdraw, or, more informally, to bow out. Giving up in these cases can be seen as a form of surrender. Give up is also used in a number of other ways. To give up information is to reveal or disclose it, especially when forced to. To give up a possession is to relinquish it. To give up a person usually means to turn them over to the authorities or reveal their location.

What is another way to describe someone who doesn’t give up easily?

Someone who doesn’t give up easily might be described as determined, tenacious, unyielding, dogged, or steadfast.

What is another word for giving up power?

To give up power, especially an official position, is to abdicate, relinquish the role, or, step down. The word abdicate is quite formal; step down is informal.

How do you use give up in a sentence?

Give up has a lot of different uses. Most of them involve quitting or relinquishing something. Here are some examples of give up in a sentence:

We can’t just give up—we need to keep trying.
I’m going to give up on trying to write the essay for tonight.
She decided to give up sweets for a month.
The double agent gave up the location of the documents.
He will never give up power unless he is forced to.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fernandez said his daughter has special needs and her mother had to give up her career to become a full-time caregiver.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Kim has repeatedly vowed never to give up his nuclear arsenal, and his powerful sister said before Xi's visit that the programme was Pyongyang's "line of no retreat".

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

The closer your husband gets to that great golf club in the sky, the more the insurance company will want him to give up the policy.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

“Nothing in the world,” he wrote that year, “could make a poet give up poetry, even when he is a Jew and the language of his poems is German.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

I called to my father to give up the hunt.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

give-up

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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