giveaway

1 of 2

noun

give·​away ˈgiv-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce giveaway (audio)
plural giveaways
Synonyms of giveawaynext
1
: an unintentional revelation or betrayal
2
a
: something given away free
specifically : premium sense 1d
b
: the act of giving something away free
staging a promotional giveaway
3
: a radio or television program on which prizes are given away
4
sports : an error or poor play that allows an opponent to gain control of the ball or puck : a mistake that results in a turnover
As a team the Dolphins have committed a league-low 12 giveaways.—Jim Trotter

give away

2 of 2

verb

gave away; given away; giving away; gives away

transitive verb

1
: to make a present of
2
: to deliver (a bride) ceremonially to the bridegroom at a wedding
3
a
: betray
b
: disclose, reveal
4
: to give (something, such as weight) by way of a handicap

Synonyms of giveaway

Relevance

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of giveaway in a Sentence

Noun The way she looked at him was a dead giveaway that they were more than just friends. The store is offering coffee mugs as free giveaways to attract new customers. The store is staging a promotional giveaway to attract new customers. Verb the insincerity of his apology was given away by that slight smirk on his face gave away all her potted plants when she moved
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
After a 3-3 homestand that featured Ozzie Guillén’s number retirement ceremony and a pope hat giveaway, the Chicago White Sox headed out for their biggest trip in five years following Thursday’s 9-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Mamdani has made a practice of sweepstakes-style giveaways in his first months as mayor, including giveaways for World Cup tickets, the Knicks championship ceremony at City Hall and prime viewing of the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, among others. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
Perry did not say whether those three expenditures were from the campaign giving away Durk’s money after his October 2024 arrest on murder-for-hire charges. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 Giovannoni showed that the free, open-source tool successfully tricked scammers into giving away their own private personal information, such as phone numbers, addresses, and even bank account details. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for giveaway

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of giveaway was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing giveaway

Rhymes for giveaway

See All Rhymes for giveaway

Browse Nearby Words

give a tinker's damn
giveaway
give away
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Giveaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giveaway. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

giveaway

1 of 2 noun
give·​away ˈgiv-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce giveaway (audio)
1
: an unintentional act of revealing or betraying
his expression was a dead giveaway of his guilt
2
: something that is given away free
3
: an event at which things are given away

give away

2 of 2 verb
ˌgiv-ə-ˈwā
1
: to present (a bride) to the bridegroom at a wedding
2
a
: to show unintentionally
b
: disclose, reveal

More from Merriam-Webster on giveaway

Nglish: Translation of giveaway for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about giveaway

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