RELINQUISH Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'relinquish' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of relinquish are abandon , resign , surrender , waive , and yield . While all these words mean "to give up completely," relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness. // relinquished her crown

Q: Where would 'abandon' be a reasonable alternative to 'relinquish'?

While the synonyms abandon and relinquish are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up. // abandoned all hope

Q: In what contexts can 'resign' take the place of 'relinquish'?

The synonyms resign and relinquish are sometimes interchangeable, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle. // resigned her position

Q: When is 'surrender' a more appropriate choice than 'relinquish'?

In some situations, the words surrender and relinquish are roughly equivalent. However, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist. // surrendered their claims

Q: When can 'waive' be used instead of 'relinquish'?

The words waive and relinquish can be used in similar contexts, but waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion. // waived the right to a trial by jury

Q: When could 'yield' be used to replace 'relinquish'?

Although the words yield and relinquish have much in common, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force. // the troops yielded ground grudgingly

relinquish

verb

ri-ˈliŋ-kwish

Definition of relinquish next

as in to surrender

to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress the boy reluctantly relinquished the illegal fireworks to the police officer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to abdicate

to give up (as a position of authority) formally the retiring CEO relinquished his position to the company's vice president with very mixed feelings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word relinquish different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of relinquish are abandon, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

Where would abandon be a reasonable alternative to relinquish?

While the synonyms abandon and relinquish are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

In what contexts can resign take the place of relinquish?

The synonyms resign and relinquish are sometimes interchangeable, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is surrender a more appropriate choice than relinquish?

In some situations, the words surrender and relinquish are roughly equivalent. However, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

When can waive be used instead of relinquish?

The words waive and relinquish can be used in similar contexts, but waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When could yield be used to replace relinquish?

Although the words yield and relinquish have much in common, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

Examples of relinquish in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web Other Trump lawyers have been disciplined, relinquished their licenses, indicted or have pleaded guilty in relation to efforts to overturn the election. —

Amy Beth Hanson, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2024 The conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 policy plan, developed by many former Trump administration officials, once again calls for pulling U.S. forces back from Europe and for relinquishing responsibility for leading NATO. —

Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2024 The Tigers missed a chance to close out the series Thursday, losing a one-run lead in the seventh inning that Cleveland never relinquished. —

Joe Guillen, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024 In conjunction with Dawkins’ arrest that September, the FBI raided ASM’s headquarters in Englewood, N.J., and Miller, though never charged, was forced to relinquish his certification to represent NBA players. —

Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for relinquish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish

Verb

Williams surrendered the go-ahead home run to Mets slugger Pete Alonso that ended the Brewers season in October.

David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The suspect, Travis L. Ward, was arrested Saturday in Vancouver, surrendering without incident after police and SWAT officers surrounded a home he was traced to, according to a statement from the Vancouver Police Department.

Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024