accede

Synonym Chooser

How is the word accede distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of accede are acquiesce, agree, assent, consent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When can acquiesce be used instead of accede?

While in some cases nearly identical to accede, acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

In what contexts can agree take the place of accede?

The words agree and accede are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

When could assent be used to replace accede?

Although the words assent and accede have much in common, assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

Where would consent be a reasonable alternative to accede?

The words consent and accede can be used in similar contexts, but consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When is subscribe a more appropriate choice than accede?

While the synonyms subscribe and accede are close in meaning, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accede One other country, South Sudan, opted not to accede to the treaty after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, joining India, Israel and Pakistan as the world's only non-NPT states. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025 But Tehran has already retaliated against Israel and shows no sign yet of acceding. Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 22 June 2025 Trump wants to replace Powell with someone more willing to accede to his demands for a big cut in interest rates. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 7 July 2025 To date, North Korea is the only nation to have acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and subsequently withdraw. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for accede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accede
Verb
  • In June, the ROJ agreed to exchange 13 hectares of his family’s land across Singapore Botanic Gardens for a nearby 8.5-hectare state land of equivalent value, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
    Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Democrats agreed that unregulated recreational marijuana use is a concern in Tennessee, but ultimately opposed the bill as a policy failure.
    Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But even those who assent to most of his criticisms might balk at following Anderson to his final destination, which is to bluntly deny India much of a future in the modern world.
    Pankaj Mishra, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2013
  • The lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, Seth P. Waxman, a solicitor general for the Clinton administration, initially refused, but eventually assented after further criticism from Judge Reyes.
    Chris Cameron, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Mexico acquiesced to the transfer on the condition that the Department of Justice wouldn’t pursue the death penalty against them.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The current chair, Jerome Powell, has long drawn Trump’s ire for his refusal to acquiesce to the president’s demands to lower interest rates — and his term expires in May.
    Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Bell shot back that Burrows was essentially asking Collier to consent to house arrest.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2025
  • User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
    Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Accede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accede. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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