1
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
she reluctantly ceded her position as leader
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2
as in transferring
to give over the legal possession or ownership of
Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States as part of the settlement of the Spanish-American War
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3
as in abdicating
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the President officially cedes his position on the January 20th immediately following the presidential election
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Recent Examples of ceding
The document also prohibits any leader from ceding Ukrainian land, Farkas said during a recent interview with the Tribune.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Munar responded by referencing when his opponent hit a ball into the stands during the third set, with Bergs subsequently penalized a point for ball abuse and ceding that game as a result.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025
The Biden White House at the time rebutted all concerns, yet the former president’s health while in office remains the object of congressional scrutiny, particularly after he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer shortly after ceding the presidency to Trump in January.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
But Tesla's performance lagged behind this growth, putting it at risk of ceding long-term market share to aggressive rivals like BYD, which is expanding rapidly with competitive pricing and new models across Europe.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Zelensky has rejected the idea of pulling forces from Donetsk, while signalling an openness to freezing the frontlines, effectively ceding parts of the country to indefinite Russian control – but only if Ukraine receives ironclad security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
Then last year, TNT Sports walked away from NBA media rights, ceding ground in live sports to NBCUniversal, Disney and Amazon.
—Lillian Rizzo,alex Sherman, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
Zelensky himself has cited a clause in the Ukrainian constitution that prevents any leader from ceding or transferring any of the country’s territory.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
This after having spent days talking about the possibility of ceding Ukrainian territory as part of some sort of agreement, and chastising Ukraine — invaded unprovoked by a much larger neighbor — of starting the war itself.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Munar responded by referencing when his opponent hit a ball into the stands during the third set, with Bergs subsequently penalized a point for ball abuse and ceding that game as a result.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025
The Biden White House at the time rebutted all concerns, yet the former president’s health while in office remains the object of congressional scrutiny, particularly after he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer shortly after ceding the presidency to Trump in January.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
But Tesla's performance lagged behind this growth, putting it at risk of ceding long-term market share to aggressive rivals like BYD, which is expanding rapidly with competitive pricing and new models across Europe.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Zelensky has rejected the idea of pulling forces from Donetsk, while signalling an openness to freezing the frontlines, effectively ceding parts of the country to indefinite Russian control – but only if Ukraine receives ironclad security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
Then last year, TNT Sports walked away from NBA media rights, ceding ground in live sports to NBCUniversal, Disney and Amazon.
—Lillian Rizzo,alex Sherman, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
Zelensky himself has cited a clause in the Ukrainian constitution that prevents any leader from ceding or transferring any of the country’s territory.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
This after having spent days talking about the possibility of ceding Ukrainian territory as part of some sort of agreement, and chastising Ukraine — invaded unprovoked by a much larger neighbor — of starting the war itself.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceding
Verb
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His mother would soon pass, and Agee hadn’t had the opportunity to find a new place to live after relinquishing his apartment pre-Suicide Squad.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
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While a strong federal government may be central to the Democratic Party's identity, maintaining that objective likely requires relinquishing control from the capital and encouraging state politicos to explore new ways to achieve success.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This approach reduces the risks associated with handling and transferring sensitive data across borders.—
Chidambaram Bhat,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Han recommends wrapping cut onions tightly in plastic wrap or transferring them to an airtight container to store in the fridge.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This isn't about abdicating responsibility.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Everyday New Yorkers are not giving up, are not giving in, are not surrendering.—
John Santucci,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
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The suspect then stumbled and dropped his wig before surrendering, the news outlet reported.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Just a week ago, markets were assigning only a modest chance for three cuts this year.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
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Now, some English classes are assigning just three books a year.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Macron has also repeatedly ruled out resigning from office before his term ends in 2027, despite polling poorly.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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Yokeley, a Republican, served as the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections until resigning on Thursday.—
Ben Brachfeld,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The temperature has to be so low that atoms emit no infrared radiation, rendering traditional thermal imaging ineffective.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
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The gamble backfired, with the LDP losing seats in parliament and rendering it unable to form a majority government even with its coalition partners.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Greengrass uses the scene where the bus becomes stationary as an example of conveying feelings without being pedantic.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
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Public health officials also committed missteps in conveying the use value of masks.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ceding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceding. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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