GAVE WAY Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

gave way

phrase

past tense of give way

as in collapsed

to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure That old chair is going to give way soon.

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as in withdrew

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) They were urged to give way but chose to stand their ground.

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Recent Examples of gave way Over the decades, however, that prestige gave way to severe neglect. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Examples of interpersonal violence are rare among Stone Age remains, only becoming common later as hunting and gathering gave way to settled farming communities. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 Over the weeks, personal publications gave way to political disputes, with local politicians claiming credit for firefighting efforts or accusing authorities of failing to act. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 The China shock gave way to new industries and enormous wealth creation. — Jared Franz, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 But as Hamilton’s economic interventionism gave way to Thomas Jefferson’s laissez-faire approach, the bounty programs faded away. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 But Depp’s decades of Hollywood success eventually gave way to a turbulent period in his career. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Same Movie, Scarier Villain The earlier waves of shadow IT gave way to shadow applications. — Adrian Carr, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 His experimental and ambient work gradually gave way to dance and, almost naturally, to film. — Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

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“Gave way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20way. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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