give way

Pronunciation

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Verb

give way (third-person singular simple present gives way, present participle giving way, simple past gave way, past participle given way)

1. To yield to persistent persuasion.

   The mother gave way to her crying child.

2. To collapse or break under physical stresses.

   After years of neglect, the rusty old bridge could give way at any time.

   • 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:

     During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast.

   • 1997, “Ænema”, performed by Tool:

     'Cause I'm praying for rain
     I'm praying for tidal waves
     I wanna see the ground give way
     I wanna watch it all go down

3. To be followed, succeeded, or replaced by.

   Winter gave way to spring.

4. To give precedence to other road users.

   At the crossing, cars must give way to pedestrians.

5. To allow another person to intervene to make a point or ask a question whilst one is delivering a speech.
6. To allow the expression of (a pent-up emotion, grief, etc.).
   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     Seeing my eye fixed upon him, he went outside to give way to his grief in the passage.

7. (chiefly imperative, as command to the crew) To begin rowing.