Menu
Find words

leave

/ˈliːv/
verbnoun

LEAVE meaning: permission to be absent; it also scores 8 points in Scrabble and is a Wordle answer.

NWL Collins ENABLE Wordle answer list

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To have a consequence or remnant.

    “I left my car at home and took a bus to work.”

  2. To depart; to separate from.

    “I left him to his reflections.”

  3. To transfer something.

    “When my father died, he left me the house.”

  4. To give leave to; allow; permit; let; grant.

Noun 4 meanings

  1. The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.

    “He made 45 leaves in his innings of 64.”

  2. The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).

  3. The tiles remaining on a player's rack after his or her turn.

    “I didn't score much, but LING was a good leave.”

  4. Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.

    “I've just been given three weeks' leave by my boss — I don't think I still have some leave owing to me.”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
egressabsentexitremovebookbouncechuckdash
Opposite
remainresidesojourntarry

LEAVE is an everyday five-letter word with an 8-point Scrabble value, a Wordle answer flag, and a meaning that shifts with context. In ordinary use, it means permission to be away from work or a place; in cue sports, it names the position left after a shot. Its common spelling hides a scoring quirk: V supplies 4 of the word’s 8 tile points.

LEAVE score, anagram and neighbours at a glance

  • LEAVE has five letters and scores 8 points in Scrabble: L, E, A, and E are 1 each; V is 4.
  • Wordle accepts LEAVE as both an answer and a permitted guess.
  • Its one anagram is VEALE; it is far less familiar than LEAVE.
  • Nine one-letter neighbours include LEASE and WEAVE, two recognizable alternatives.
  • LEAVE rhymes with HAVE, GAVE, SAVE, and WAVE; all share its -AVE ending.

What is the LEAVE meaning in sports and games?

LEAVE has a familiar everyday sense: permission to be absent, especially from work, or time away. In sports, it has narrower meanings: in billiards, the balls’ positions after a shot; in cricket, a batsman’s decision not to play at a ball.

Those uses explain why a definition can seem distant from everyday speech. A player may discuss a good or poor leave at the table, while an employee requests leave from work. The same noun can refer to time away or the situation left behind.

LEAVE is common in general English, not a specialist spelling. Its game vocabulary reaches beyond sports, too: in Scrabble talk, “leave” can mean the tiles still on your rack after a turn.

How does LEAVE score and play in word games?

LEAVE scores 8 Scrabble points before board premiums. The V contributes 4, while L, A, and both E tiles contribute 1 each; a letter square changes the board total, not those printed tile values.

For Wordle, LEAVE is an answer and an allowed guess, but its repeated E means five slots cover only four distinct letters. The duplicate is a trade-off: it checks whether E fits another position without testing a fifth letter.

Another LEAVE meaning in Scrabble is your unplayed rack after a move, not the word’s 8-point value. Do not assume VEALE or every one-letter neighbour shares LEAVE’s broad validity; check the game’s word list when legality matters.

Rhymes with leave

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • LEASE5
  • WEAVE11
  • HEAVE11
  • LEAVY11
  • REAVE8
  • DEAVE9
  • LEAZE14
  • LOAVE8
  • LEARE5

Questions people ask

Is LEAVE valid in Scrabble?
Yes. LEAVE appears in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE. Its tile value is 8 points, made from four 1-point tiles and the 4-point V. Word validity and board score are separate: premiums can change the score of a play, but they do not change the word’s printed tile values.
How many points is LEAVE worth in Scrabble?
LEAVE is worth 8 points before any board premiums. L, A, and the two E tiles each score 1 point, while V scores 4. A premium square can raise the total for a play, but the base tile value stays the same.
What is an anagram of LEAVE?
VEALE is the single listed anagram of LEAVE. It is much less familiar than the everyday word, so do not assume it will be accepted in every game. Check the word list used by your game if you plan to play it.

Keep going