22 English Phrasal Verbs With 'GIVE'

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22 phrasal verbs with 'GIVE'

Give away

1. Entrust your daughter to her husband through the marriage ceremony
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: He GAVE his daughter AWAY and told the groom to look after her.
2. Tell a secret, often unintentionally
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: She didn't GIVE anything AWAY about the party so it came as a complete surprise to me.
3. Distribute something for free
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: In this issue of the magazine, they are giving away a free DVD.
4. Give without asking for or expecting payment
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He decided to GIVE his new album AWAY in a magazine.
5. Give an advantage to your opponent in a sport by making a mistake, playing badly, etc
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: They GAVE AWAY two goals in the first half.
6. Give an unwanted baby to people to bring up
   (Separable [optional] | British English)
   
   » Example: She had to GIVE her baby AWAY as she couldn't afford to bring it up.
7. Betray, report to authorities
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The gang GAVE him AWAY to the police.
8. Give a weight advantage to an opponent in boxing
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: He is GIVING AWAY thirty pounds to the challenger.

Give back

1. Return something you've borrowed
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: I GAVE the money BACK that she'd lent to me.
2. Return something that someone has lost
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: Nothing could GIVE me BACK the way I felt before the scandal.

Give in

1. Stop doing something because it's too hard or requires too much energy
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: I couldn't finish the crossword puzzle and had to GIVE IN and look at the answers.
2. Submit homework, etc.
   (Separable [optional] | British English)
   
   » Example: The projects have to be GIVEN IN three weeks before we break up for the end of term.
3. Surrender, accept defeat
   (Intransitive | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: They GAVE IN when the police surrounded the building.
4. Offer or submit for judgement, approval
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: They GAVE IN their complaint to the court.

Give in to

1. Agree to something you don't like
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The government says it will not GIVE IN TO terrorists.
2. Allow a feeling or desire to control you
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: Eventually, I GAVE IN TO my anger and screamed at them.

Give it to

1. Criticise harshly or punish someone for something
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: They really GAVE IT TO me for forgetting to turn up.

Give it up for

1. Applaud
   (Inseparable | American English)
   
   » Example: Please GIVE IT UP FOR our next guest.

Give it up to

1. Applaud
   (Inseparable | American English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: Please GIVE IT UP TO our next guest.

Give of

1. Contribute without expecting anything in return, usually time or money
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: He GIVE OF his free time to help the club.

Give off

1. Emit pollution or something else unpleasant
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: The police stopped the van because it was GIVING OFF a lot of black smoke.
2. Behave in a way that makes people think of you in a certain way
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: She GIVES OFF an air of nobility.
3. Expand
   (Intransitive | American English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The company is GIVING OFF all over the country.
4. Follow or take one of 2 or more branches (instructions, in machine code) in writing a computer program (using system software for a programming language)
   (Intransitive | American English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: A particular application of a processing code can be GIVEN OFF while requiring minimal run-time support.

Give onto

1. Open into a place, for a door or window
   (Inseparable | British English)
   
   » Example: The French windows GIVE ONTO the lawn.

Give out

1. Distribute
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: Somebody was GIVING leaflets OUT in front of the underground station.
2. Stop working, through age or overuse
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: I'd been having trouble with my laptop and it finally GAVE OUT at the weekend.
3. Have no more of a supply
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: The water GAVE OUT after a week in the desert.
4. Make public
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: They GAVE the names of the winners OUT last night.
5. Emit
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The factory GIVES OUT a lot of fumes.
6. End or finish somewhere
   (Intransitive | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The path GIVES OUT halfway around the lake.
7. Make a sound or noise
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: She GAVE OUT a moan.
8. Read the wordings of a hymn or psalm aloud for congregational singing
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He GAVE OUT the psalm.
9. Complain, moan
   (Intransitive | Irish English)
   
   » Example: My students are always GIVING OUT about the rain.

Give out to

1. Scold, tell off, nag
   (Inseparable | Irish English)
   
   » Example: The teacher GAVE OUT TO us for being late.

Give over

1. Stop doing something bad or annoying
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: They were making a lot of noise so I told them to GIVE OVER.
2. Entrust, pass on responsibility
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: We've GIVEN the premises OVER to the new company.
3. Stop an activity
   (Intransitive | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The police told the rioters to GIVE OVER.

Give over to

1. Dedicate, devote
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He GAVE himself OVER TO finding his son.
2. Transfer responsibility
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: After her death, they GAVE control of the estate OVER TO her niece.

Give over!

1. An expression of disbelief
   (Intransitive | British English)
   
   » Example: They've doubled your salary- GIVE OVER!

Give up

1. Stop doing something that has been a habit
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: I GAVE UP taking sugar in tea and coffee to lose weight.
2. Stop being friendly, end relationships
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: She GAVE UP all her school friends when she went to university.
3. Stop doing something
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: I have GIVEN UP trying to help them.
4. Surrender, stop trying
   (Intransitive | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: I can't think of the answer; I GIVE UP.
5. Sacrifice or dedicate time, etc, to something
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: I GAVE UP all my free time to the project.
6. Allow someone to sit in your chair, take your place, etc
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: I GAVE UP my seat to a pregnant woman.
7. Allow or give away a run while pitching (baseball)
   (Separable [optional] | American English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He has GIVEN UP 14 earned runs in 14 innings.

Give up on

1. Lose faith in or stop believing in something or someone
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: I GAVE UP ON them when I heard what they were saying about me behind my back.
2. Stop feeling hope
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: I have GIVEN UP ON them; they never do what they promise.

Give up to

1. Denounce, report to authorities
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He GAVE his accomplices UP TO the police.

Give way

1. Stop to allow vehicles to pass
   (Intransitive | British English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: You must GIVE WAY at this junction.
2. Collapse, break
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: The dam GAVE WAY when the floods rose.

Give way to

1. Yield, surrender, retreat
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: Don't GIVE WAY TO your worst fears about this.
2. Relinquish position or ascendancy
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: Night GIVES WAY TO day.
3. Be replaced by something better, cheaper, more modern, etc
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: Cottage industries GAVE WAY TO the big companies.
4. Allow a vehicle to pass in front
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: You must GIVE WAY TO oncoming traffic.
5. Surrender to strong emotions
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He GAVE WAY TO his anger and started screaming at them.

Give yourself up

1. Surrender to the police or authorities
   (Inseparable | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: The gang GAVE THEMSELVES UP last night.

Give yourself up to

1. Dedicate time, energy, etc, to something
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English | Contributed By: Michael Belasco)
   
   » Example: He GAVE himself UP TO his job.

Take our Exercise on 'GIVE'