give way

Idioms  

1. Retreat or withdraw, as in The army gave way before the enemy . [Early 1500s]

2. 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]

3. Collapse, fail, break down, as in The ladder gave way , or His health gave way under the strain . [Mid-1600s]

4. 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]

5. 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]

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Example Sentences

But the usual party atmosphere surrounding the races has given way to a more muted event and sombre tributes, exactly a month after the January 1 inferno at the bar Le Constellation.

From Barron's

Within an hour, though, the cities gave way to much smaller towns and villages, and they saw more creatures, fewer people.

From Literature

As I reach the bottom, the soft, worn wood gives way to the cool stone floors of the pub.

From Literature

Yet when it comes time to put words on the page, enthusiasm gives way to doubt.

From The Wall Street Journal

Across the Middle East, South Asia and the Pacific, integration gave way to rivalry, and dependence became a liability.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abate
• decline
• decrease
• depress
• dilute
• diminish
• dwindle
• halt
• impair
• lessen
• lower
• reduce
• sap
• soften
• undermine
• wane