give way

Verb (4)

1. move in order to make room for someone for something“The park gave way to a supermarket”“‘Move over,’ he told the crowd”Synonyms: move overgiveease upyieldMore general moveSimilar abandon, give up
2. break down, literally or metaphorically“The wall collapsed”“The business collapsed”“The dam broke”“The roof collapsed”“The wall gave in”“The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice”Synonyms: collapsefall incave ingivebreakfounderMore general changeMore specific flop, slump, break, buckle, implodeSimilar abandon, collapse
3. end resistance, as under pressure or force“The door yielded to repeated blows with a battering ram”Synonyms: yieldMore general change
4. stop operating or functioning“The engine finally went”“The car died on the road”“The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town”“The coffee maker broke”“The engine failed on the way to town”“her eyesight went after the accident”Synonyms: failgo baddiegive outconk outgobreakbreak downMore general changeMore specific blow out, misfire, malfunction, crashSimilar break, die