giveaway

The word “giveaway” means something handed out for free, often as a promotion. In plain terms, either something offered for free, or a small sign that reveals a secret or lie.

Here is “giveaway” used in a sentence: “The store ran a giveaway to celebrate its opening.”

“Giveaway” is a noun.

“Giveaway” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Giveaway” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: something handed out for free, often as a promotion.

A giveaway is typically an organized promotion where items are handed out for free, often to attract customers or build attention, while a freebie is a broader, more casual term for anything given for free. In practice the words overlap, but "giveaway" more often implies a planned event or contest.

In this sense, "giveaway" refers to a clue or detail that reveals something meant to be hidden, such as a nervous habit exposing a lie. "A dead giveaway" simply means an especially obvious or unmistakable sign.

As a noun meaning a free item or a revealing clue, it is written as one word: "giveaway." The two-word phrasal verb "give away" is used instead when describing the action itself, as in "they gave away free samples."