To give something to someone without asking for money or anything in return.
I'm going to give away my old bike to my cousin because I don't use it anymore.
A: What are you doing with all those books? B: I'm giving them away to the library.
If I had extra clothes that I no longer wore, I would probably give them away to charity rather than throw them out.
Common mistake
✗They gave away it for free.
✓They gave it away for free.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'give it away'.
Tell it apart
They're giving away free tickets.
handing them out for nothing
They're giving back to the community.
returning something as thanks
Use 'give away' when you want to talk about giving something to someone for free, often because you don't need it anymore.'Give away' is different from 'sell', which means to exchange for money.
To accidentally or intentionally let someone know something that was meant to be kept secret.
He accidentally gave away the surprise party by mentioning it in front of Sarah.
A: Did you tell anyone about my plans? B: No, I promise I didn't give anything away.
Sometimes, people give away important information without realizing it, especially when they are nervous.
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'.
Tell it apart
Don't give away the ending!
reveal a secret
They gave away free samples.
hand out for nothing
Use 'give away' when someone tells a secret or reveals information that was supposed to be hidden.'Give away' in this sense is about revealing information, not giving objects.