surrender 1 of 2

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
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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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surrender

2 of 2

noun

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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Synonym Chooser

How is the word surrender different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of surrender are abandon, relinquish, resign, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

In what contexts can abandon take the place of surrender?

While the synonyms abandon and surrender are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than surrender?

The synonyms relinquish and surrender are sometimes interchangeable, but relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When would resign be a good substitute for surrender?

The words resign and surrender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When can waive be used instead of surrender?

The meanings of waive and surrender largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When is it sensible to use yield instead of surrender?

In some situations, the words yield and surrender are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 surrender
Verb
One of the big drivers of these Americans surrendering their passports since 2010 was the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024 The arrests began with two suspects surrendering separately, leading police to a third arrest in Sibuco. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
Yet there are times when that surrender comes with misgivings attached. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 11 Oct. 2024 Wilson was known for helping facilitate the safe surrender of multiple minorities accused of crimes. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for surrender 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender
Verb
  • Trowbridge choosing not to relinquish his premiership keeps Dennison from advancing in government, and is Trowbridge’s commitment to anyone really rock solid?
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Ocean’s marketplace model allows data owners to monetize their information without relinquishing control.
    Tonya Evans, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • One of those meteorites eventually succumbed to Earth’s gravitational pull after a lengthy journey through space, sending it on a trajectory that ended in Indiana.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
  • In 1796, Philipp, only forty-four years old, succumbed to pneumonia.
    Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Many resigned themselves to the end of a democratic regime that didn’t seem to be working.
    Christine Adams / Made by History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
  • This one will be very interesting because just last week, Ernst and Young resigned as the company's official auditor.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.
    Richard Stacy, The Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2024
  • The bidding process will mostly be focused on the 2027 edition, which Brazil is hosting, but media companies can also submit a bid for 2031.
    Tim Baysinger, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • This is not just a new drink lineup, but a signal, a cultural zeitgeist, inviting customers to pause, sip, and indulge.
    Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Robyn is trying to clean up her act but can’t resist indulging Sharon’s long-repressed wild side.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The film is France’s official submission for Best International Feature at the Oscars this year and Netflix is giving the film a big awards push, which Maraval notes will continue to help the film’s prospects.
    Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings.
    Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Gaming performance is solid and the 15.6-inch display renders gameplay in crisp 1080p.
    Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024
  • Over the past decade, scientists and researchers discovered that the same Nvidia chip designs that could render polygons and computer graphics were ideal for the kind of parallel processing needed for AI.
    Kif Leswing, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Supporters react as Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, concedes the election during a speech at Howard University on Nov. 6, 2024, in Washington, DC.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • But there were also some supporters who urged their candidate to do the right thing and concede if she was defeated.
    David Gilbert, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near surrender

Cite this Entry

“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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