gave ground

phrase

past tense of give ground
as in withdrew
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) There is wildlife in the area, so give ground if you see any when hiking.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gave ground
  1. gave way
  2. lost ground
Phrase
  • The defense had its moments but gave way when the game was on the line.
    — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Before long, those casual first impressions gave way to deep friendship.
    — Dateline NBC, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of gave way
Phrase
  • The site lost ground to competitors over the following decade, and its ownership transferred to Verizon after that company’s 2015 purchase of AOL.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The company has also lost ground in computer vision, per the report.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lost ground
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

gave birth to
gave ground
gave in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gave ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gave%20ground. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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