leave 1 of 2

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
San Diego police responded with squad cars; a helicopter circled overhead after the game, urging fans to leave the parking lots promptly. Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025 Lale Esquivel followed with a liner to left plating McDermott to give Grapevine a 2-0 lead. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
Noun
Even sparks or embers carried by the wind can ignite nearby leaves or grass, triggering a fire that spreads rapidly. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025 McDavid would be the best insurance possible in the event that Matthews is injured and/or leaves as a free agent in the summer of 2028. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
  • Elder Scrolls Online, like any other MMO, is the type of game many players spend hundreds of even thousands of hours playing over the course of several years, so asking them to abandon an account with that type of legacy just to play with someone on another platform is a very big ask.
    David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • The property had been abandoned for about three years, according to Dawkins.
    Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • The Oilers bought out the final three seasons of the five-year $25-million contract that Holland bequeathed on goaltender Jack Campbell in 2022.
    Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • In 1937, the major American collector Andrew Mellon bequeathed two Vermeers to the National Gallery, which, despite the promises of Wilhelm von Bode of Berlin’s Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum and Wilhelm Martin of the Mauritshuis—titans of the European museum world—also turned out to be imitations.
    Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • For example, quitting is one of the hardest moments to avoid tears.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • Five years ago, the mother made a drastic choice to sell her house, quit her job, and embark on a global adventure, dismissing any concerns for the future of her financial security.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • During the video, Diggs pulls out a bag containing a pink substance and hands it to one of the women.
    Amy Woodyatt, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
  • The Bad Boys star previously joked that Murphy handed the responsibility to him.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Credential dumps from breached companies are traded daily on the dark web.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • To stay on the show, each Islander must couple up with another Islander or risk being dumped from the villa.
    EW.com, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Large windows throughout let in plenty of sunlight.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 28 May 2025
  • Victoria didn’t let the losses in the final months of 2024 get to her.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Compared to other vacations, cruises are relatively long and expensive and involve many more moving parts — from getting to the departure point to your stay onboard to visiting multiple ports of call (often in foreign countries).
    Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 June 2025
  • Eligible benefits might include health insurance coverage, gym memberships, banking plans, commuter and transit benefits, employee discounts, and vacation time.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • National Donut Day, which comes around annually on the first Friday of June, isn't just promotional permission to partake in pastries – the celebration has some historical heft.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 5 June 2025
  • Reddit sued Anthropic on Wednesday, accusing the startup of training its artificial intelligence (AI) models on the popular forum without permission.
    Julia Shapero, The Hill, 5 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on leave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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