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
AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Then came an hourslong standoff, followed by the arrival of a Hamilton County Association SWAT team ‒ though Stiles and Stumpf surrendered before the SWAT team was deployed.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Noah Hawley, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
Long-term sobriety requires staying in a posture of surrender.
—Sandy Mazza, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Verb
On this day in 1941: Nazi Germany and its Axis allies invaded the USSR amid World War II in what was one of the deadliest operations, and one that backfired on the Nazis, who failed to plan for long-term fighting and the determination of the Soviets to avoid surrendering.
—AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Then came an hourslong standoff, followed by the arrival of a Hamilton County Association SWAT team ‒ though Stiles and Stumpf surrendered before the SWAT team was deployed.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Noun
Here is a picture of what happened to the children down below:
President Harry Truman was on the USS Augusta at the time, returning from a conference in Potsdam, Germany, following that country’s surrender.
—Noah Hawley, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
Long-term sobriety requires staying in a posture of surrender.
—Sandy Mazza, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender
Verb
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While Israel wants to eradicate Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks, the group has shown little willingness to relinquish its political and military power in Gaza.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
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Lesson 4: Less data, better decisions Without her phone, my wife had to relinquish her customary role as the navigator.—
JJ Rosen,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
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In a moment that is almost cliché, the lawyer is the first to succumb to the terror of the T-Rex.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Some leaders recently have succumbed to such efforts and paid the piper, while others have resisted.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
DeJoy resigned in March after President Donald Trump took office again and voiced his consideration to privatize USPS, meaning that mail service would no longer be public but rather owned and run by private companies.—
Mackenzie Thomas,
The Washington Examiner,
14 July 2025
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The government’s refusal to disclose further information about the Epstein case has provoked an outcry from many of Trump’s supporters, with key right-wing figures like Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck and Laura Loomer calling for Bondi to be fired or resign.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
The brewery opted not to submit any beers to the State Fair’s competition, according to the log of entries.—
Jack Rodriquez-Vars
July 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 July 2025
-
After nearly three years of discussion and refinement, plans have been submitted to the city of San Diego for a pair of monument signs to mark La Jolla’s Bird Rock area.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Some adults want their children to develop AI literacy; others see chatbots as a way to indulge young kids’ endless curiosities or engage their creativity.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
-
Trump previously appeared to indulge an antisemitic trope of Jewish people controlling things behind the scenes.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
5 July 2025
Noun
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Updates to the prior authorization process will require health plans to standardize electronic submissions.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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And with every submission, fans can get access to a Royal Perks reward, which is a randomized offer that could include anything from free cheeseburgers to a one-cent Whopper every week for a year.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Chinese electric vehicles are becoming far more attractive, rendering Tesla's cars less appealing, particularly in global markets.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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The government says that services rendered while a fugitive from your master are not recognized.—
Jonquilyn Hill,
Vox,
6 July 2025
Verb
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In their five World Cup matches, the Netherlands conceded only two goals with Spitse on the pitch.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
-
To get to a supermajority on partial overrides, the four members conceded on some of Gloria’s vetoes, such as elimination of $250,000 for a homeless outreach team.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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