giving ground

phrase

present participle of give ground
as in retreating
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

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.
Recent Examples of giving ground Though Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 remains the lightweight option, Dell counters with stronger performance from its Core Ultra H-class processor without giving ground elsewhere. — Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for giving ground
  1. giving way
  2. losing ground
Phrase
  • The first two lines in each stanza are about the promise of the season, before giving way to its end, showing the necessity of what came before in order for the next season to begin.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Here, the spice mingles with cardamom and ginger before giving way to earthy patchouli, papyrus, and creamy orris butter.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of giving way
Phrase
  • But the battle against the temptation of price promotions is long and one that has had the industry continually losing ground.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There have been broader concerns in France that the country's education system is losing ground to other countries and failing in its mission to enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to move up the social ladder.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of losing ground

Browse Nearby Words

giving birth to
giving ground
giving in
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Cite this Entry

“Giving ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/giving%20ground. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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