Definition of leavenext
1
2
as in to bequeath
to give by means of a will I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to quit
to give up (a job or office) he left his job in the city and moved out into the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
6

leave

2 of 2

noun

1
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended the soldier was on leave for three days before having to report back to base

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3

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 leave
Verb
That may leave the Houthis in place, and in a stronger position inside Yemen. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 The schedule is 10 tournaments, leaving plenty of weeks to play elsewhere, except that the PGA Tour and now the European tour are not options. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
She has been placed on unpaid administrative leave until an investigation is completed, officials said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 In response to the allegations presented in 2019, the board president at the time put Adelkoff and the nonprofit’s chief financial officer on leave for several weeks, according to Kleger-Heine. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
  • Executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP and TotalEnergies abandoned the event, the FT reported, due to the potential danger.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In Peru, the world’s largest catcher of anchovies, the fishing industry collapsed after the tiny baitfish abandoned the country’s waters for cooler northern climes.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Charles Hall later bequeathed the property to his wife and children when his health declined, family said.
    — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • More than a century after a rare painting, recently attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, was bequeathed to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien in 1920, the painting, Portrait of an Old Man, will go on display on December 2, per reports.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Theo was thinking about quitting his job to start his own business, which meant, for a time, no income.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Lonely employees are roughly twice as likely to quit their job.
    — Jordan Dunin, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When asked, Beckham handed the bottles to Pierce, who noted three different types of pills in the bottle.
    — Steven Mross, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Reputational risks Trump’s regulators are handing ⁠Wall Street banks major capital relief and have already clashed with Democrats when defending their policies during congressional hearings.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Analysts are perking up about CoreWeave, even though investors are dumping shares and interest rates are rising in the economy.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Republicans have dumped hundreds of millions into the race to support Paxton, even as there have been leaks of audio clips of Paxton appearing to disparage national involvement in the race.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The continent’s political leaders must seize the moment to act, and not let this moment of Europtimism slide.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Doing so lets Bee’s AI take some actions on your behalf, like drafting emails or sending calendar invites based on your conversations.
    — Victoria Song, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the tottering years, a bathing bird or blossoming flower will raise a thrill in you like only a game winning home run or a Disney World vacation used to.
    — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Even more, 69%, say a weeklong vacation is unaffordable, up from 60%.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Hard passes give journalists who regularly cover the White House longer-term access to its campus without having to get permission ahead of time.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The company has requested permission to launch Starship from its Starbase site in South Texas up to 456 times per year.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!