Giveaway vs. Give Away
“Giveaway” is a noun for something given free, the act or event of giving something free, an unintended clue or revelation, and other established senses. “Give away” is the verb phrase for giving, revealing, or otherwise transferring something.
Use “giveaway” as the noun and “give away” as the verb.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a noun naming a free item/event, clue, or revelation | giveaway | Use the closed noun. |
| an action of giving, disclosing, or transferring | give away | Use the two-word verb. |
| an inflected verb | gave away / giving away | Keep the verb open when tense or aspect changes. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Can the expression change tense because it is functioning as a verb?
If yes: Use two words: “give away.”
If no: Use the noun “giveaway” when you are naming the thing, event, or clue.
Caveat: Both the noun and verb have several senses; grammatical role controls the one-word/two-word choice.
Examples
The store is running a weekend giveaway.
“Giveaway” is a noun naming the event.
Do not give away the ending.
“Give away” is the verb phrase.
Her expression was a giveaway.
The closed form names an unintended clue.
Further guidance
Core difference
The closed form names a thing or event; the open form expresses the action.
Fast Test
If tense changes are possible—“gave away,” “giving away”—use two words.
Sense Boundary
The noun and verb each have multiple senses, but the one-word/two-word boundary still follows grammatical role.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Giveaway — Merriam-Webster (opens in a new tab)Merriam-Webster · Giveaway noun and give away verb word-class boundary