give or take

Idioms  

1. Plus or minus a small amount, approximately, more or less. For example, We have ten acres of land, give or take a bit, or It should take a couple of hours, give or take. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

So, give or take, that means F2 has tracked inflation since then.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

One thing you have done right: Your withholdings are quite accurate, give or take a few hundred dollars.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

And the wound had time to heal—a diagnosis Mr. Benoit makes 250 million years after the fact, give or take a few thousand millennia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

For most investors, that would typically be between about 10% of their assets in gold, give or take about 5%, depending what else is in their portfolio.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

“About twenty hours, give or take, esteemed guest, depending on whether they choose the happy or sad ending.”

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin