as in to resign
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the revolutionary government forced Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian throne
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Recent Examples of abdicate
Trump’s plan calls for Hamas to lay down its arms, leave the Gaza Strip and abdicate any role in a future government in Gaza.
—
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
Instead of standing as a safeguard, Congress has abdicated its responsibility and has been a rubber stamp for the president’s unconstitutional whims.
—Trena Turner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
When the federal government abdicates its responsibility for public health, states, localities, and communities of experts can still try to fill the void.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
The federal government has functionally abdicated its role in keeping Americans safe from dangerous illness.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
Instead of standing as a safeguard, Congress has abdicated its responsibility and has been a rubber stamp for the president’s unconstitutional whims.
—Trena Turner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
When the federal government abdicates its responsibility for public health, states, localities, and communities of experts can still try to fill the void.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
The federal government has functionally abdicated its role in keeping Americans safe from dangerous illness.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abdicate
Verb
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At least 10 prosecutors resigned in protest.—
Molly Ball,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Among the ideas floated for a third Trump term is for him to get elected as vice president and then have the president resign.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Yet, despite this military setback, the militia in Lebanon shows no intention of relinquishing its weapons.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Georgia Tech led 17-14 before the Wolfpack’s Cody Hardy scored his second touchdown of the first half, and NC State (5-4, 2-3) never relinquished the lead from there.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The revelations about the emails led to both Andrew and Sarah renouncing their Duke and Duchess of York titles in the past two weeks.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
28 Oct. 2025
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Comedian Bill Maher suggests New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani should renounce his Ugandan dual citizenship over the country’s record on LGBTQ+ rights, and slams the democratic candidate for his recent meeting with a New York Imam, also criticized for his stance on gay rights.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abdicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abdicate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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