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Synonyms

give away

British  

verb

  1. to donate or bestow as a gift, prize, etc

  2. to sell very cheaply

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

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

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

  6. informal to give up or abandon (something)

"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

noun

  1. a betrayal or disclosure of information, esp when unintentional

  2. something given, esp with articles on sale, at little or no charge to increase sales, attract publicity, etc

  3. journalism another name for freesheet

  4. a radio or television programme characterized by the award of money and prizes

  5. (modifier)

    1. very cheap (esp in the phrase giveaway prices )

    2. free of charge

      a 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
give away Idioms  

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

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

  3. 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]

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.

"The United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia... for no reason whatsover," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

LA28 announced a fundraiser to give away tickets to locals, but details on how they would be distributed have not been announced.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Although his Facebook account has since been deleted, posts showed Bush was selling a hearse, cars and even trying to give away a mortuary fridge that, according to the advert, "ran cool not cold".

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

“As soon as you basically give away any control whatsoever to AI, I worry about that,” she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

By night the rustling leaves would give away anyone trying to steal up to their camp in silence.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.