leaves 1 of 2

Definition of leavesnext
present tense third-person singular of leave
1
2
as in bequeaths
to give by means of a will I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in quits
to give up (a job or office) he left his job in the city and moved out into the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
6

leaves

2 of 2

noun

plural of leave
1
as in vacations
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended the soldier was on leave for three days before having to report back to base

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leaves
Verb
Xenex LightStrike Infections acquired inside hospitals remain a serious problem, especially when harmful germs survive on surfaces after a patient leaves a room. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Measles spreads through the air and can remain in a room for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 Here, the perpetual journey leaves infinite imprints with travelers. Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 Yes, that was seventeen years ago, which leaves only fourteen years to the Big Melt of 2040. Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Talent does not cease to exist because someone leaves the payroll. Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 In Leanne, the eponymous Southern matriarch is faced with starting over when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026 But that restraint depends on Iranian leaders continuing to believe that avoiding such a confrontation leaves them better off. Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 What happened at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday leaves pressing issues to address, but there are some signs of encouragement, too. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
Propagate mums by taking a four-inch stem cutting and removing the lower leaves. Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026 This lets the leaves decompose into rich organic matter that can benefit your garden beds. Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026 The stems grow underground, which helps protect them from large seasonal temperature swings, while their long, thin leaves help limit water loss. Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 Residents looking to track the changing leaves can follow updates from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources through its annual fall foliage reports. Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Down in the nullah, the jungle was green and dense, but in the open area in front of me the trees had lost their leaves, and the only cover was dead, waist-high grass. Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026 Back then, people would wear a string of shrubby leaves as a necklace. Austin Elias-De Jesus, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 The center also receives waste such as leaves and construction materials and processes them into new products, mainly compost and cattle bedding. Rose Evans august 21, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaves
Verb
  • The aircraft abandons the familiar tube-and-wing layout used by Boeing and Airbus.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Sophie Cunningham/transgender debate has no easy right or wrong // FIFA bows to pressure from Europe boycott, abandons private-equity plan // History suggests Miami Dolphins may be surprise team in ’26 // Cancel that intro.
    Greg Cote August 16, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And earlier this week, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for June showed a slight pickup in hiring and quits (an indicator of employee confidence) while layoffs were essentially unchanged.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The band quits when the director releases a swarm of bees onto the set (the original clip featured dogs), only to be replaced by look-alikes.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The consultant reasons by filling a notebook with calculations, then hands you a one-sentence answer, and keeps the notebook.
    Adam Fish, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • One day, a stranger hands you a tablet and asks you to identify the correct words in a passage or find information in a chart.
    Jennifer D. Kobrin, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Parks and Rec says anyone who illegally dumps could face fines totaling $5,000 per piece of material.
    Brandon Goldner, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Using the same spoofing method as in the Silver attack, the attacker dumps Chrome's process memory and extracts the master key that protects the passkey's private key.
    Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This lets the leaves decompose into rich organic matter that can benefit your garden beds.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Shorter grass improves seed-to-soil contact and lets more sunlight reach the soil surface for better seed germination.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • More flexibility, more savings Christina DeSomma is another parent who doesn't let the school calendar limit her family's vacations, and the financial benefits alone are worthwhile.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The women received jewelry totaling more than $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop and cellphone, as well as vacations, tickets to performances, and one-on-one dinners.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Proton also pointed to Full Disk Access, one of the macOS permissions required during setup, as a broader security consideration.
    Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That means recognizing identity as a strategic business capability, continuously governing both human and non-human identities and applying adaptive access controls that respond to context instead of relying on static permissions.
    Fran Rosch, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Additionally, rigid systems penalize career reinvention or past departures, and fail to create pathways for skilled former employees to return.
    Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Compared, say, with the 1990s here, the suite of departures to points near and far is formidable.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaves. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on leaves

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster