giveaway

[ giv-uh-wey ]

/ ˈgɪv əˌweɪ /

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See synonyms for: giveaway / giveaways on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act or instance of giving something away.

something that is given away, especially as a gift or premium: A pocket calculator was offered as a giveaway with every new subscription to the magazine.

a radio or television program on which prizes are given away to contestants in a question-and-answer game.

a tax law or other legislation designed to benefit one segment of the population, one area or state, etc.: a giveaway that benefited only the very rich.

an unscrupulous deal, especially one that benefits some while defrauding others.

Sports. any careless loss of possession of a ball, puck, etc., or other offensive lapse that leads to a score by the opponent.

adjective

constituting a giveaway: a giveaway newspaper.

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Origin of giveaway

1870–75, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase give away

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use giveaway in a sentence

Something like fluoride, which is too small for normal filters, yanks away that feeling of agency.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
But give the Kingdom credit for its sense of mercy: The lashes will be administered only 50 at a time.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He observes the bodies floating away on the river, pulling on his cigarette with a sneer.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So it might be me projecting my desires onto Archer to want to just get away from work for a few weeks.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

With chemotherapy, her doctors give her at least an 80 percent chance of survival.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was a decayed house of superb proportions, but of a fashion long passed away.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
She walked away toward another door, which was masked with a curtain that she lifted.
Confidence|Henry James
If you throw away this chance, you will both richly deserve to be hanged, as I sincerely trust you will be.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
The bear laughed and joined his companion, and the torpedo thundered away.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Nevertheless the evening and the night passed away without incident.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for giveaway

give away

verb (tr, adverb)

to donate or bestow as a gift, prize, etc

to sell very cheaply

to reveal or betray (esp in the phrases give the game or show away)

to fail to use (an opportunity) through folly or neglect

to present (a bride) formally to her husband in a marriage ceremony

Australian and NZ informal to give up or abandon (something)

noun giveaway

a betrayal or disclosure of information, esp when unintentional

mainly US and Canadian something given, esp with articles on sale, at little or no charge to increase sales, attract publicity, etc

journalism another name for freesheet

mainly US and Canadian a radio or television programme characterized by the award of money and prizes

(modifier)

very cheap (esp in the phrase giveaway prices)
free of chargea giveaway property magazine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with giveaway

give away

Make a gift of, bestow, as in I decided to give away all my plants. [c. 1400]

Present a bride to the groom in a marriage ceremony, as in Her father gave Karen away. [c. 1700]

Reveal or make something known, often unintentionally; also, betray or expose someone. For example, She gave away her true feelings, or He gave away his accomplices. This idiom is sometimes put as give oneself away, as in If you don't want the family to know about your gambling, don't give yourself away by spending your winnings. [Late 1800s]