[give pause]{v. phr.} To cause you to stop and think; make you doubt or worry. •/The heavy monthly payments gave Mr. Smith pause in his plans to buy a new car./ •/The bad weather gave Miss Carter pause about driving to New York City./

[give place to] See: GIVE RISE TO.

[give rein to] or [give free rein to] {v. phr.} To remove all restrictions or limitations from someone or something. •/When she wrote her first mystery novel, the talented novelist gave rein to her imagination./

[give rise to]{v. phr.} To be the reason for; cause. •/A branch floating in the water gave rise to Columbus' hopes that land was near./ •/John’s black eye gave rise to rumors that he had been in a fight./

[give someone his rights] or [read someone his rights] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. The act of advising arrested criminals that they have the right to remain silent and that everything they say can be held against them in a court of law; that they have the right to the presence of an attorney during questioning and that if they can’t afford one and request it, an attorney will be appointed for them by the State. •/The cops gave Smith his rights immediately after the arrest./ 2. To sever a relationship by telling someone that he or she can go and see a divorce lawyer or the like. •/Sue gave Mike his rights before she slammed the door in his face./ Compare: READ THE RIOT ACT.

[give the air] See: GIVE THE BOUNCE(1).

[give the ax]{v. phr.}, {colloquial} 1. Abruptly to finish a relationship. •/She gave me the ax last night./ 2. To fire an employee in a curt manner. •/His boss gave John the ax last Friday./

[give the benefit of the doubt]{v. phr.} To believe (a person) is innocent rather than guilty when you are not sure. •/The money was stolen and John was the only boy who had known where it was, but the teacher gave him the benefit of the doubt./ •/George’s grade was higher than usual and he might have cheated, but his teacher gave him the benefit of the doubt./

[give the bounce] or [give the gate] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. or [give the air] To stop being a friend or lover to (a person); separate from. •/Mary gave John the bounce after she saw him dating another girl./ •/Bill and Jane had an argument and Bill is giving her the gate./ 2. or [give the sack] also [give the hook] To fire from a job; dismiss. •/The ball team gave Joe the gate because he never came to practice./ Contrast: GET THE BOUNCE.

[give the creeps] See: THE CREEPS.

[give the devil his due]{v. phr.} To be fair, even to someone who is bad; tell the truth about a person even though you don’t like him, •/I don’t like Mr. Jones, but to give the devil his due, I must admit that he is a good teacher./

[give the gate] See: GIVE THE BOUNCE.

[give the glad eye]{v. phr.}, {slang} To give (someone) a welcoming look as if saying "come over here, I want to talk to you." •/I was surprised when Joe gave me the glad eye./

[give the go-by]{v. phr.} To pay no attention to a person; avoid. •/John fell in love with Mary, but she gave him the go-by./ •/The boy raised his hand to answer the question, but the teacher gave him the go-by./ Compare: THE RUNAROUND.

[give the high sign] See: HIGH SIGN.

[give the hook] See: GIVE THE BOUNCE(2).

[give the lie to]{v. phr.}, {literary} 1. To call (someone) a liar. •/The police gave the lie to the man who said that he had been at home during the robbery./ 2. To show (something) to be false; prove untrue. •/The boy’s dirty face gave the lie to his answer that he had washed./

[give the sack] See: GIVE THE BOUNCE(2).

[give the shirt off one’s back]{v. phr.}, {informal} To give away something or everything that you own. •/He’d give you the shirt off his back./

[give the show away]{v. phr.} To reveal a plan or information that is supposed to be secret. •/You have read further in the book than I have, but please don’t tell me where the treasure was buried; otherwise you’d be giving the show away./

[give the slip]{v.} To escape from (someone); run away from unexpectedly; sneak away from. •/An Indian was following, but Boone gave him the slip by running down a hill./ •/Some boys were waiting outside the school to beat up Jack, but he gave them the slip./

[give signs of] See: SHOW SIGN(S) OF; SHOW NO SIGN OF.

[give the willies]{v. phr.} To cause someone to be uncomfortable, fearful, or nervous. •/Sue hates to camp out in a tent; the buzzing of the mosquitoes gives her the willies./

[give thought to]{v. phr.} To consider; think about. •/Have you given any thought to the question of how to sell Grandpa’s old house?/ Contrast: GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT.

[give to understand]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To make a person think that something is true but not tell him; suggest; hint. •/Mr. Johnson gave Billy to understand that he would pay him if he helped him clean the yard./ 2. To make a person understand by telling him very plainly or boldly. •/Frank was given to understand in a short note from the boss that he was fired./

[give up]{v.} 1a. To stop trying to keep; surrender; yield. •/The dog had the ball in his mouth and wouldn’t give it up./ •/Jimmy is giving up his job as a newsboy when he goes back to school./ Compare: GIVE ONESELF UP, HAND OVER, LET GO(1a). Contrast: HOLD ON TO. 1b. To allow; permit. •/Ford gave up two walks in the first inning./ 2. To stop doing or having; abandon; quit. •/The doctor told Mr. Harris to give up smoking./ •/Jane hated to give up her friends when she moved away./ Compare: LEAVE OFF, PART WITH. 3. To stop hoping for, waiting for, or trying to do. •/Johnny was given up by the doctors after the accident, but he lived just the same./ •/When Mary didn’t come by nine o’clock, we gave her up./ •/I couldn’t do the puzzle so I gave it up./ 4. To stop trying; quit; surrender. •/The war will be over when one of the countries gives up./ •/The other team gave up after we scored three touchdowns./ Compare: GIVE IN(2), RESIGN ONESELF, THROW IN THE SPONGE.

[give (one) up for]{v. phr.} To abandon hope for someone or something. •/After Larry had not returned to base camp for three nights, his fellow mountain climbers gave him up for dead./

[give up the ghost]{v. phr.} To die; stop going. •/After a long illness, the old woman gave up the ghost./ •/The motor turned over a few times and gave up the ghost./

[give up the ship]{v. phr.} To stop fighting and surrender; stop trying or hoping to do something. •/"Don’t give up the ship, John," said his father when John failed a test./

[give voice]{v. phr.}, {formal} To tell what you feel or think; especially when you are angry or want to object. — Used with "to". •/The students gave voice to their pleasure over the new building./ •/Little Willie gave voice to his pain when the dog bit him by crying loudly./ Compare: CRY OUT, SPEAK OUT.

[give way]{v.} 1. To go back; retreat. •/The enemy army is giving way before the cannon fire./ Compare: FALL BACK. 2. To make room, get out of the way. •/The children gave way and let their mother through the door./ Compare: MAKE WAY. 3. To lose control of yourself; lose your courage or hope; yield. •/Mrs. Jones didn’t give way during the flood, but she was very frightened./ Compare: GIVE UP, LOSE ONE’S HEAD. 4. To collapse; fail. •/The river was so high that the dam gave way./ •/Mary’s legs gave way and she fainted./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), LET GO(1a). 5. To let yourself be persuaded; give permission. •/Billy kept asking his mother if he could go to the movies and she finally gave way./ Compare: GIVE IN.