give out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to emit or discharge

2. (tr) to publish or make known

   the chairman gave out that he would resign

3. (tr) to hand out or distribute

   they gave out free chewing gum on the street

4. (intr) to become exhausted; fail

   the supply of candles gave out

5. informal to reprimand (someone) at length

6. (tr) cricket (of an umpire) to declare (a batsman) dismissed

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give out Idioms  

1. Allow to be known, declare publicly, as in They gave out that she was ill . [Mid-1300s]

2. Send forth, emit, as in The machine gave out a steady buzzing . [Mid-1400s]

3. Distribute, as in They gave out surplus food every week . [c. 1700]

4. Stop functioning, fail; also, become exhausted or used up. For example, The motor gave out suddenly , or My strength simply gave out . [First half of 1500s]

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Example Sentences

The group will also give out prayer cards featuring a prayer written by pupils from The Archbishop's School in Canterbury.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

“We call it stumping out—it means that your legs just give out and you collapse,” Rahlves said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

This year, the awards ceremony will once again give out an award for album cover to better reflect music in the digital age.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026

The Social Security Administration doesn’t give out two benefits to the same person, but rather the higher of the two options.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 13, 2025

“You’ll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score. Over there, she’s had to mop up Diggory already. “Yeh did it, Harry!” said Hagrid hoarsely.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling