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 The rise in right-wing extremism — not least in Germany, where the far-right AfD party is running second in the polls — gives The Investigation a current relevance, but director Kahl says current politics was not on his mind. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025 Acquiring Plum gives a veteran guard to the Sparks young core of Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink and reunites her with her former Aces teammate Dearica Hamby. Doug Feinberg, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025 Joann filed for bankruptcy in March 2024 but at the time gave a positive spin on the situation and emerged a month later as a private company, retaining all of its 800-odd stores. Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 This allowed Haaland to play off multiple touches and gave De Bruyne and Foden time to make runs. Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for give 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for give
Verb
  • Elsewhere, the dilemma at the heart of the segment is whether Hanan and Salim would donate Noor’s organs to recipients in need (most likely Israeli recipients) when his untimely demise was the fault of a bankrupt system enforced by the Israeli occupation to begin it.
    Tomris Laffly, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Looney donated a kidney to her mother in 1999 and later pregnancy complications caused high blood pressure that damaged her remaining kidney, which eventually failed, a rare circumstance among living donors.
    Landon Mion, Fox News, 26 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But with 3½ days left in office, Biden renewed attention for a century-old fight that energized generations of women.
    Mike Allen, Axios, 18 Jan. 2025
  • However, when left upright, they can be worn under wider pants.
    Rebecca Shinners, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In a culture dominated by consumerism, the Focolare Movement offers a stark contrast.
    Lisa Ling, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025
  • These were once holy spaces for ancient civilizations, and each offers a moment of complete awe and a rare look into history.
    John Newton, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • According to a 2021 Government Accountability Office report, collapsing the D.C. office drove out the agency’s most experienced employees and more than doubled the number of vacancies.
    Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Because several portions of the building had collapsed, firefighters were attempting to subdue the blaze from outside, Baltimore County Fire Department Cpt.
    Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Eventually, the cumulative toll of Russia’s war economy will need to be paid.
    Alexandra Prokopenko, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025
  • As fuel-efficient cars — and EVs, which pay higher registration fees but don't use gas — become the norm, fewer dollars are flowing into transportation coffers.
    Kale Williams, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Each aria-song, through middling Latin pop and rap hybrids, expresses the egomania of sociopaths.
    Armond White, National Review, 29 Jan. 2025
  • About a decade later, the federal government expressed interest in developing the railway to expand Alaskan mining operations.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • That same year, the museum devoted $820,000 to an institutional rebrand.
    News Desk, Artforum, 24 Jan. 2025
  • There have been plenty of DNPs for Dillingham so far this season, some because coach Chris Finch is devoting more time to veterans to get the team going and some because Dillingham has had to deal with two ankle sprains already this season.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • At Lowell, inmates say, those who yield to the officers’ demands are often shielded from abuse.
    Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Cutrer said that the university had used several means to cut the deficit over the prior two years, a process that had yielded $6.8 million in savings.
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near give

Cite this Entry

“Give.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/give. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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