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
The force-of-nature mother and activist left quite the impression — and was at the center of the story Garbus would be telling about a prolific serial killer on Long Island, New York who had not yet been caught. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 31 Mar. 2025 Wild Wednesday on tap Some of the areas that had storms Sunday are the same ones lashed by a series of tornadoes and storms two weeks ago that left more than 40 people dead. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
Work at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in Washington, D.C., came to a screeching halt yesterday afternoon after the entire staff was placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 1 Apr. 2025 Air traffic controller Damon Gaines, 39, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leave
Verb
  • Iran later abandoned provisions of the JCPOA and forged ahead with its nuclear program.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The administration’s decision to abandon plans to move D.C.’s elite fighter jet squadron to Maryland comes months after the state’s congressional delegation and Gov. Wes Moore (D) worked to secure the planes to prevent the state from losing its flying mission.
    Meagan Flynn, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Wolsey died in Season 1, but not before bequeathing his showcase to Henry, who returned the favor by accusing his chief minister of treason.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025
  • These were bequeathed to her nephew Erik af Klint, a vice admiral in the Swedish Navy.
    Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But just three months later, Zhang suddenly quit the cloud unit.
    Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2025
  • If approved, the bill would get rid of the restriction on striking workers from receiving SNAP and also protect public sector workers who are fired from being considered to have voluntarily quit.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The cosmos may hand you inspiration on a silver platter today.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
  • But despite his late-season breakout, Grimes shouldn't expect the Sixers to hand him a blank check this summer.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As this happens, the booster stage begins to spiral, simultaneously dumping what remains of its fuel.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2025
  • As the upper stage continues towards space, the lower stage falls, spiraling back to Earth, dumping what remains of its fuel.
    Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Addressing media speculation about her personal life, as well as her past and present relationships, Grande lets listeners in to her inner psyche and turmoil more explicitly than ever.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • And those who benefit from the status quo won’t let go easily.
    David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • High levels of carbon monoxide were detected in 14-year-old Miller Gardner's hotel room, Costa Rican police revealed more than one week after the son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner mysteriously died on a family vacation.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Monday was just the beginning of the vacation for Harris and his friends Andrew Glass, 20, and Derrick Plewa, 18, also of Indiana.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Although the Castro regime had given permission for the project to proceed, the government pulled the plug and expelled Ghidini from the country, leaving him able to cobble together only an 11-minute short.
    Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Leaders who foster self-trust give employees permission to take initiative.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leave. Accessed 6 Apr. 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!