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
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
The Jayhawks’ starting pitcher, Cooper Moore, surrendered a two-out walk, and North Dakota State followed by scoring runs on a double and single (aided by the aforementioned fielding gaffes).
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025
James Powel, USA Today, 9 May 2025
His father, Billy Sr., was an intrepid cinematographer who filmed the surrender of the German fleet at Scapa Flow in Scotland in 1919, then worked on documentaries.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Verb
The pitcher proceeded to surrender singles to Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
The Jayhawks’ starting pitcher, Cooper Moore, surrendered a two-out walk, and North Dakota State followed by scoring runs on a double and single (aided by the aforementioned fielding gaffes).
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025
Noun
However, the Soviet Union recognizes its Victory Day on May 9 after having a second set of surrender documents signed by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel on May 8, 1945.
—James Powel, USA Today, 9 May 2025
His father, Billy Sr., was an intrepid cinematographer who filmed the surrender of the German fleet at Scapa Flow in Scotland in 1919, then worked on documentaries.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender
Verb
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Harvard University will relinquish 175-year-old photographs believed to be the earliest taken of enslaved people to a South Carolina museum devoted to African American history as part of a settlement with one of the subjects’ descendants.—
Leah Willingham,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 May 2025
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Despite bipartisan and nearly unequivocal support for Gypsum Canyon in the intervening four years, Agran has refused to relinquish his goal of completing a veterans cemetery in Irvine.—
Jonathan Horwitz,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Sadly, Verstappen is not the only multiple-time world champion to succumb to such behavior.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2025
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At the former, Zosia quietly sits with Kiko, who has just succumbed to his gunshot wound.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The demonstration Tuesday evening in front of Seattle City Hall is expected to call on Harrell to retract his statement, apologize, or resign.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
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Her firing comes after former Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned from her position in 2024 following accusations of academic plagiarism.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Applications will be reviewed in the order they are submitted.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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Prospective candidates had until May 30 to submit their applications.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Their admirably robust menu indulges coastal cravings via seasonal oysters and Gulf shrimp while appeasing land lovers with steakhouse favorites and handmade pastas.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
26 May 2025
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This multicultural circus indulges the racial stereotyping that should be Hwang’s subject.—
Armond White,
National Review,
21 May 2025
Noun
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The clips went viral on social media ahead of the Season 7 premiere, and in response, Love Island fans vowed to vote her out once submissions opened through the show’s official app.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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This can look like reassessing submission criteria, ensuring diverse representation on juries and panels, committing to transparent selection processes, and actively seeking out talent from a wide range of backgrounds and identities.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
4 June 2025
Verb
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From Feed Hygiene to Discovery Advantage Unlike traditional search ads that appear alongside blue links, AI search ads will be rendered inside conversational answers themselves.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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In fact, without the ocean as a natural buffer, climate change would have already rendered our planet uninhabitable.—
Jenna DiPaolo,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Conte’s side conceded just 27 goals in 38 league games, the strongest defensive record in Serie A and 18 fewer than Inter.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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Many economists argue that trade deficits do not matter, and even proponents concede that doing so can cause short-term pain.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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