acquiesce

Synonym Chooser

How is the word acquiesce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of acquiesce are accede, agree, assent, consent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

When is it sensible to use accede instead of acquiesce?

The words accede and acquiesce can be used in similar contexts, but accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When would agree be a good substitute for acquiesce?

Although the words agree and acquiesce have much in common, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

When could assent be used to replace acquiesce?

The meanings of assent and acquiesce largely overlap; however, assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When is consent a more appropriate choice than acquiesce?

While the synonyms consent and acquiesce are close in meaning, consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When can subscribe be used instead of acquiesce?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquiesce, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Examples 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 acquiesce The banks acquiesced; instead of four billion dollars, California got twenty billion. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 Worse, the Biden administration seems to have basically acquiesced to the current state of affairs in the Red Sea. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024 The Netherlands eventually acquiesced, but Austria held out, provoking tensions with Romania’s government. Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024 Lawmakers repeatedly acquiesced, even as the Washington Supreme Court held them in contempt — later fining them $100,000 a day — for failing to fund public schools. Lulu Ramadan, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for acquiesce 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquiesce
Verb
  • Following blowback from county leaders, Miami Beach officials agreed to direct $10 million to the county for homeless services and provide additional funding in future years.
    Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a truce has been agreed upon with Hamas to release the hostages held in Gaza, though discussions with his cabinet are still underway.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • My dilemma relates not to the legal issue of consent but to whether a 13-year-old has an ethical right to assent to care.
    Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
  • However, the bill's language caused much confusion and gridlock in 2019, leading Parliament to pursue an additional measure, which repealed the 2011 act and instituted the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill, which Queen Elizabeth II assented to in March 2022.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Some of the nominees will face easier paths than others, but Trump's supporters have pressured Republicans to consent, and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso says Democrats should cooperate.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The Entrant also consents to the use of his or her name and biographical information, if desired by Gannett, in connection with the Media and the Contest.
    USA TODAY, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But the government has claimed in court filings that the app has acceded to Beijing’s demands to censor content outside China.
    Adam Liptak, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Between 2009 and 2013, only 16 to 19 percent of the population wanted Ukraine to accede to NATO.
    Anton Grushetskyi, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near acquiesce

Cite this Entry

“Acquiesce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquiesce. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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