give way
Idioms-
Retreat or withdraw, as in The army gave way before the enemy . [Early 1500s]
-
Yield the right of way; also, relinquish ascendancy, as in The cars must give way to the parade , or The children were called inside as day gave way slowly to night . [Early 1700s]
-
Collapse, fail, break down, as in The ladder gave way , or His health gave way under the strain . [Mid-1600s]
-
Also, give way to . Yield to urging or demand, as in At the last minute he gave way and avoided a filibuster , or The owners gave way to their demands for a pay increase . [Mid-1700s]
-
Also, give way to . Abandon oneself, lose self-control, as in She gave way to hysteria , or Don't give way to despair . [First half of 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.
After three years of breakneck growth and soaring valuations, the AI industry enters 2026 with some of the euphoria giving way to tough questions.
From Barron's
Soon, though, the wisecrack gives way to more sober ruminations.
From Los Angeles Times
Today, Mumbai is yet again a city in rapid flux - its building code governed by real estate moguls trying to maximise the floor space index, giving way to utilitarian rather than stylistic considerations.
From BBC
It’s a sentiment of wonder and relief repeated around much of California in recent weeks, as the wettest winter in recent memory has given way to a damp spring.
From Los Angeles Times
That’s when the floor gave way, and she could feel herself falling — into a long, horizontal tank of chocolate in the factory’s basement.
From Seattle Times
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.
