give away — reveal a secret
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To accidentally or intentionally let someone know something that was meant to be kept secret.
Say it like a native
Textbook Her facial expression revealed her true intentions.
Native Her face gave it away.
For letting something slip, natives say 'give away'. 'Revealed her true intentions' is narration, not speech.
Pattern: give something away
In use
- He accidentally gave away the surprise party by mentioning it in front of Sarah.communication
- Sometimes, people give away important information without realizing it, especially when they are nervous.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Don't give away it!
✓ Don't give it away!
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'give it away', never 'give away it'.
Common collocations
give away + secret/info— the secret, the ending, the surprise, the answer
Don't confuse it
'Give away' in this sense is about revealing information, not giving objects.
Related
- give away (give something for free) — Another meaning of 'give away' is 'give something for free'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.