give way

Idioms  

1. Retreat or withdraw, as in The army gave way before the enemy . [Early 1500s]

2. Yield the right of way; also, relinquish ascendancy, as in The cars must give way to the parade , or The children were called inside as day gave way slowly to night . [Early 1700s]

3. Collapse, fail, break down, as in The ladder gave way , or His health gave way under the strain . [Mid-1600s]

4. Also, give way to . Yield to urging or demand, as in At the last minute he gave way and avoided a filibuster , or The owners gave way to their demands for a pay increase . [Mid-1700s]

5. Also, give way to . Abandon oneself, lose self-control, as in She gave way to hysteria , or Don't give way to despair . [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

But the early euphoria surrounding Yunus's leadership gradually gave way to frustration at the scale of the task.

From Barron's

For a moment, he imagined that the glass would give way under his touch.

From Literature

Steep declines gave way to a bounceback this past week, but underlying worries remain.

From The Wall Street Journal

As he neared the approach to the bridge, the trees gave way to low shrubs.

From Literature

Social media footage captured the moment the buildings collapsed, with one side giving way at the lower floors before both structures fell almost simultaneously.

From BBC

Related Words

• abate
• decline
• decrease
• depress
• dilute
• diminish
• dwindle
• halt
• impair
• lessen
• lower
• reduce
• sap
• soften
• undermine
• wane