give (one) to understand
To cause one to understand or believe something. Why should I worry? The boss has never given me to understand that she's displeased with my work. What did Mom say that gave you to understand we'd have something fun for dinner? I'm pretty sure she made meatloaf. I was nice to him, and that gave him to understand I was romantically interested, apparently.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
give someone to understand something
to explain something to someone; to imply something to someone. (Possibly misleading someone, accidentally or intentionally. See also given to understand.) Mr. Smith gave Sally to understand that she should be home by midnight. The mayor gave the citizens to understand that there would be no tax increase. He didn't promise, though.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
give to understand
Lead one to think, as in I was given to understand that the President was coming here. [Mid-1500s]
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.