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 doubt and discomfort give way to arguments by Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the man who picked the seven of them to create BTS.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

And when war headlines give way to the damage the ware has done to global growth prospects, stocks will struggle to recover.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

“But we think that geopolitical fears will give way to weak fundamentals.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Whereas on tracks like “Dime” and “Flores,” there are distinct orchestral peaks, in which subtle percussions give way to grander, more cathartic releases.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

My legs give way, and I slide down onto the floor, every fiber of my body suddenly giving out from the surgery and from Will and from Poe.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Related Words

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