relinquish

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

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 relinquish Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. should never have relinquished control of the Panama Canal and claims China now wields significant influence over the vital waterway. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025 With music director Esa-Pekka Salonen having relinquished his tenure as music director at the end of the 24-25 season, 23 guest conductors – including six making their orchestra series debuts – will lead programs during the new season. Georgia Rowe, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025 The challenge for the finale was offering just enough to keep hard-core Severance-heads engaged without alienating the less committed viewer or relinquishing the qualities that make for satisfying television. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2025 Britain’s slimmer new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also relinquished the U.K.’s past leadership in research and expertise, largely due to pay reductions and restrictions on hiring non-British nationals. Sarah Stroup, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish
Verb
  • Eight others have had their certifications temporarily suspended, and three officers voluntarily surrendered their licenses.
    Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
  • On Thursday, Ehrlich surrendered himself to authorities at the Lakewood Township Police headquarters before being transported to Ocean County Jail, where he’s currently being held, according to prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.
    Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • My previous tendency to abdicate responsibility for certain aspects of the business was holding us back.
    Paul David, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Trump also seems to have abdicated most responsibility of bureaucracy to others by allowing Musk’s team unprecedented access to sensitive government programs and documents that include people’s personal information.
    Shannon Bow O'Brien, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • There is no reason to say that the current challenges render AI’s implementation impossible.
    William Tarr, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • That renders every emotional moment (what made the original Lion King so terrific) utterly lifeless.
    Barry Levitt, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • One now former Skadden attorney, Rachel Cohen, resigned over her firm’s approach.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • According to a recent survey from the Israel Democracy Institute, some seventy per cent of Israelis believe that Netanyahu should take responsibility for October 7th and resign.
    Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This configuration allows an exceptional power reserve of 216 hours (nine days), delivered with constant force to the escapement.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Have the latest Reality Checks delivered to your inbox with our free newsletter.
    Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This would be a permanent, binding agreement renouncing their claim to the full territory in exchange for a delimited territory south and/or east of the dividing line.
    Hannah Rae Armstrong, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Renunciation Of Pseudo-Agile: To be truly agile today, teams must be willing to renounce what is commonly misinterpreted as agile.
    Federico Imparatta, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Trump issued demands after threatening to withhold $400 million. 0:28 Columbia University appears to have ceded to the Trump administration's demands after a threat to withhold $400 million in federal funds.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Boeing has ceded ground to rival Airbus AIR.PA in the delivery race and entered the crosshairs of regulators and customers following missteps.
    Mike Stone, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquish. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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