give out
Britishverb
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(tr) to emit or discharge
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(tr) to publish or make known
the chairman gave out that he would resign
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(tr) to hand out or distribute
they gave out free chewing gum on the street
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(intr) to become exhausted; fail
the supply of candles gave out
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informal to reprimand (someone) at length
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(tr) cricket (of an umpire) to declare (a batsman) dismissed
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Allow to be known, declare publicly, as in They gave out that she was ill . [Mid-1300s]
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Send forth, emit, as in The machine gave out a steady buzzing . [Mid-1400s]
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Distribute, as in They gave out surplus food every week . [c. 1700]
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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]
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 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
The group declined to give out the exact percentage of the vote that Raman won.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
He has been known to freely give out his phone number.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
They release in just a few seconds the same energy as the Sun will give out over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
"He didn't give out many of these, though," said Ampai, tapping her own red bracelet.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
