give away

give away idiom
  1. Make a gift of, bestow, as in I decided to give away all my plants. [c. 1400]
  2. Present a bride to the groom in a marriage ceremony, as in Her father gave Karen away. [c. 1700]
  3. Reveal or make something known, often unintentionally; also, betray or expose someone. For example, She gave away her true feelings, or He gave away his accomplices. This idiom is sometimes put as give oneself away, as in If you don't want the family to know about your gambling, don't give yourself away by spending your winnings. [Late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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