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

See Examples For:

give out

“Michiganders who work with their hands shouldn’t have to work until their bodies give out to retire,” she wrote on X. “If you put in the work, you deserve the retirement you earned.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

The makers of major energy drink brands like Celsius, Alani Nu, C4 and Ghost say they neither market nor give out free samples to consumers under 18.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

IPP sentences were introduced in 2005 and allowed judges to give out sentences with no maximum tariff to perpetrators of serious crimes or repeat offenders.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

“He has talent. He’s a competitor, and I’m excited about this season for him. He has a lot to give out to us, and he’s going to bring a lot out of us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

The only difference is that I don’t give out cards with little Santas or Christmas trees on them.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak