give away

Short definition: The phrase give away means to give something to someone without expecting payment, or to reveal a secret unintentionally, depending on context.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb give away? This expression appears often in everyday English and can describe several different situations. Sometimes it means giving something to someone for free, especially as a gift or donation. In other contexts, it refers to accidentally revealing information or exposing a secret. People also use it when something unintentionally shows the truth about a person or situation, such as a facial expression or small detail that reveals what someone is really thinking. Because it can describe generosity, mistakes, or hidden clues becoming visible, the meaning of give away depends strongly on the context. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how give away works in everyday English.

give away v. /ˌɡɪv əˈweɪ/

Forms: give away, gives away, gave away, given away, giving away
Related: donate v., reveal v., expose v., gift n.
Syllable: give-a-way

  1. (Verb) To give something to someone for free.

    To give away most commonly means giving something to another person without expecting payment, often as a gift, donation, or part of a promotional event.

    The company decided to give away free samples of its new product.
    She chose to give away her old clothes to a local charity.
    They sometimes give away tickets during special events.

    Synonyms: donate, gift, hand out, distribute freely, present as gift, pass along, contribute, offer freely, share freely, provide for free, bestow, grant
    Antonyms: sell, keep, retain, hold onto, charge for, store, withhold, reclaim, retrieve, take back, reserve, save

  2. (Verb) To reveal a secret or information, often unintentionally.

    In another sense, give away means revealing information, secrets, or plans, sometimes accidentally or without meaning to.

    He accidentally gave away the surprise party during a conversation.
    Don’t give away the ending of the movie to people who haven’t seen it.
    A small comment from her nearly gave away the whole plan.

    Synonyms: reveal, expose, disclose, betray, leak information, let slip, uncover, make known, unveil, show secret, announce prematurely, spill secret
    Antonyms: hide, conceal, protect secret, keep quiet, withhold information, cover up, guard secret, suppress information, keep hidden, mask truth, obscure details, protect confidentiality

  3. (Verb) To unintentionally show something about yourself or a situation.

    Give away can also mean unintentionally showing a feeling, thought, or truth through small signs such as facial expressions, tone of voice, or behavior.

    His nervous smile gave away the fact that he was hiding something.
    Her reaction immediately gave away how surprised she really was.
    The look on his face gave away the answer before he even spoke.

    Synonyms: reveal unintentionally, betray feelings, expose truth, show sign, disclose unintentionally, indicate, hint at truth, signal secretly, show emotion, betray intention, reveal clue, display evidence
    Antonyms: conceal emotion, hide feelings, disguise reaction, mask expression, suppress reaction, hide truth, control expression, maintain secrecy, cover emotion, remain unreadable, conceal evidence, hide intention

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Give away

While organizing a charity event, Thomas and Mia discuss donating items. This conversation highlights give away, which means to provide something for free, to reveal a secret, or to lose an advantage during a game.

Thomas: We have so many extra supplies that I think we should give away the surplus to the local community center this afternoon.

Mia: That’s a great idea; it’s better to give away items to people who need them than to let them sit in our storage shed.

Thomas: I read that if you give away too much of the plot in a movie trailer, people are less likely to want to see the full film.

Mia: I noticed that his nervous expression managed to give away the fact that he was lying about where he had been all night.

Thomas: If the team continues to give away penalties like that, they will certainly lose the match and the chance for the trophy.

Mia: I saw a store give away free samples of their new organic juice to every customer who walked through the door yesterday.

Thomas: It’s important not to give away your personal information online unless you are absolutely certain that the website is secure and trusted.

Mia: I agree; I’m going to give away my old books to the library so that other students can benefit from the knowledge as well.

Thomas: I’m glad we decided to give away the extra tickets; it was wonderful to see how happy it made that young family.

Mia: Me too; once you give away something with a kind heart, it often brings a lot of joy back to you in return.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Give Away

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb give away is used to talk about donating, revealing secrets, or unintentionally showing information.

Give away money

To donate money to others.

The organization decided to give away money to families affected by the natural disaster.

Give away clothes

To donate clothing.

She chose to give away clothes she no longer wore instead of throwing them out.

Give away a secret

To reveal confidential information.

He accidentally gave away a secret during the meeting by mentioning the surprise plan.

Give away prizes

To distribute rewards.

The company will give away prizes to customers who participate in the promotional campaign.

Give away free samples

To distribute items at no cost.

The store decided to give away free samples to attract more visitors during the launch event.

Give away information

To reveal details.

You should not give away information about your password to anyone, even if they claim to be official staff.

Give away your position

To reveal where you are.

The sudden noise might give away your position if you are trying to remain unnoticed.

Give away tickets

To distribute event passes.

The radio station plans to give away tickets to lucky listeners this weekend.

Give away personal details

To reveal private information.

Be careful not to give away personal details when chatting with strangers online.

Give away your plan

To accidentally reveal intentions.

He tried to remain calm so his facial expression wouldn’t give away his plan.

Give away gifts

To distribute presents.

During the celebration, volunteers gave away gifts to children in the community.

Give away food

To donate meals.

The restaurant decided to give away food at the end of the day to avoid waste.

Give away your feelings

To unintentionally show emotions.

Her smile gave away her feelings even though she tried to hide her excitement.

Give away property

To transfer ownership freely.

He chose to give away property to charity as part of his will.

Give away a surprise

To reveal something meant to be hidden.

Don’t give away the surprise party by mentioning it in front of her.

Give away your identity

To reveal who you are.

The distinctive tattoo might give away your identity if someone is looking for you.

Give away unused items

To donate things not needed.

She decided to give away unused items to make space in her apartment.

Give away evidence

To reveal proof unintentionally.

His nervous behavior gave away evidence that he was hiding something.

Give away resources

To distribute supplies.

The foundation continues to give away resources to underprivileged communities.

Give away the ending

To reveal a story’s conclusion.

Please don’t give away the ending of the movie because I haven’t watched it yet.

Words Rhyme with give away

live away
sieve the day
forgive the way
outlive the stay
relive the gray
give-and-play
believe the way
receive the stay
achieve the day
deceive the clay
away
day
play
say
stay
way
gray
clay
pray
display
delay
betray
survey
holiday
yesterday
anyway
runaway
stowaway
throwaway
hideaway
POS: Verb Phrase, Noun Phrase