give ground

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give ground

1. Lit. to retreat, yielding land or territory. I approached the barking dog, but it wouldn't give ground.

2. Fig. to "retreat" from an idea or assertion that one has made. When I argue with Mary, she never gives ground.

See also: give, ground

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Keep your faces therefore towards the Trojans, but give ground backwards, for we dare not fight with gods. The Iliad by Homer View in context He now ran rapidly in almost to the spear's point, only to jump away, run a few steps to one side and again attempt to make an entrance, the while he slashed and hewed at the spear with such violence that it was with difficulty the girl maintained her guard, and all the time was forced to give ground step by step. Tarzan the Untamed by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context It came upon him nearer now, quite as one of those expanding fantastic images projected by the magic lantern of childhood; for the stranger, whoever he might be, evil, odious, blatant, vulgar, had advanced as for aggression, and he knew himself give ground. The Jolly Corner by James, Henry View in context			give as good as one gets give away give best shot give birth to give carte blanche give cause for give chapter and verse give chase give credence to Give credit where credit is due give currency give due give ear to give enough rope Give enough rope and he'll hang himself give evidence of give eye teeth for give eyeteeth for give first refusal give food for thought give forth with give free reign give free rein give free rein to give grief give ground give Hail Columbia give head give hell give house room give it a rest Give it a rest! give it a shot Give it all you've got! give it best shot Give it the gun Give it time Give it to me straight give it to straight give life give lip service to give marching orders give me a break Give me a break! Give me a call Give me a chance! Give me a rest! Give me five! Give my best to give notice give odds that			give final notice give first refusal Give Fish A Chance give food for thought give for give for give force to give formal approval to give formal status to give forth give forth give forth with give foundation give free reign give free rein give free rein to give freedom give freely give full measure give full particulars give full play Give Geography Its Place give get the bum's rush give get the bum's rush give get the bum's rush give get the bum's rush Give Girls A Chance give good reasons for give grief give ground give grounds for give Hail Columbia give head give head give head give head give head give heart give heart give heart give heart give heed give heed to give hell give hell give hell give help Give her the gun give honor give hope give house room give ideas give ideas give ideas give ideas give impetus give impulse to give in give in give in charge

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