1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the toddler surrendered the doll to her mother after a brief struggle the commander surrendered the garrison without having fired a single shot
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2
as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
the father refused to surrender to his son's constant begging for a BB gun
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3
as in to resign
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the aging queen refused to surrender the throne to her increasingly impatient heir
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4
as in to submit
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)
determined to give up smoking, she so far has not surrendered to her incessant desire to have a cigarette
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5
as in to capitulate
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, thus ending the Civil War
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6
as in to indulge
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly
laid-off workers who surrender themselves to despair will almost certainly never regain their footing
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as in submission
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
the police demanded the surrender of all hostages as a condition for allowing the hijackers safe passage out of the country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surrender
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 11 Apr. 2025
On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Va.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Ukrainian officials had yet to respond to Putin's suggestion on its governance, although Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused the Kremlin of setting terms that amount to a surrender by Kyiv.
—Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Verb
It was not known Friday which facility Jeffries will self surrender to the attorney general’s custody.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 11 Apr. 2025
On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Va.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
The family has verbally agreed to sign a surrender order allowing the city to euthanize the dog, per KPRC and KHOU, both of whom cited City of Baytown officials.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Ukrainian officials had yet to respond to Putin's suggestion on its governance, although Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused the Kremlin of setting terms that amount to a surrender by Kyiv.
—Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender
Verb
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The New York congresswoman had relinquished her No. 4 leadership slot as House Republican Conference Chair since she had been named Trump’s UN pick, and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) was elected in her place.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
-
So Paul relinquished the same number of sacks and just one less pressure in 272 fewer pass blocking snaps than Armstead played.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Typically seen as a safe haven asset in times of economic or geopolitical uncertainty, gold succumbed to the aftershock of Trump’s policy seesawing in recent days before rallying 1.7% to around $3,228 an ounce on Friday morning.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2025
-
However, the music exec succumbed to his conditions.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Internal Revenue Service's acting commissioner — its third leader this year — is resigning after reaching a controversial agreement to release immigrants' tax data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), multiple outlets reported.—
Avery Lotz,
Axios,
9 Apr. 2025
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Acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner Melanie Krause is resigning after a deal was made to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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People who submitted a DNA sample to 23andMe for genetic testing can get that data deleted, something Washington state officials are highlighting after the company filed for bankruptcy last month.—
Melissa Santos,
Axios,
8 Apr. 2025
-
In a concurring opinion submitted with a unanimous denial of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Monday, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III −a Reagan appointee − laid out an argument that sending deportees out of the country would allow the government to avoid due process.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Go the practical route and indulge her with a new pan from one of our favorite brands.—
Brie Schwartz,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2025
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Across 10 tracks, Young wittily indulges her insecurities, rails against narcissistic exes, and embraces unrepentant vulnerability, all with gusto.—
Audra Heinrichs,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This budget is not a final submission and anything that is submitted would need the approval of Congress to be implemented.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
-
As part of his tightening grip on power, and his assault on 200-plus years of checks and balances, President Trump has bludgeoned some of the nation’s leading law firms into shameful submission, extracting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free legal work for his pet causes.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Today, digital cameras have rendered round-the-clock observations of the night sky both practical and affordable.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Alliance would seek to deter and defeat offensive space capabilities, condemn any attempts to render space unusable in international fora, and impose tangible violations that include sanctions—from export controls on the low end to military action on the high end.—
Andrew Hanna,
Time,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Deputy Latah County Prosecutor Ashley Jennings also flat out denied Taylor's accusations that prosecutors were slow-walking discovery and said everything the defense has asked for has been provided, a point that Taylor conceded in front of the judge.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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His interrogator conceded that the police must have gotten the wrong guy and released him within weeks.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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