relinquish

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of relinquish are abandon, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

Where would abandon be a reasonable alternative to relinquish?

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

abandoned all hope

In what contexts can resign take the place of relinquish?

The synonyms resign and relinquish are sometimes interchangeable, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is surrender a more appropriate choice than relinquish?

In some situations, the words surrender and relinquish are roughly equivalent. However, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

When can waive be used instead of relinquish?

The words waive and relinquish can be used in similar contexts, but waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When could yield be used to replace relinquish?

Although the words yield and relinquish have much in common, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

Example 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 relinquish Liberation lies in relinquishing projection, in surrendering the desire for children to mirror our priorities and accomplishments. Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025 For decades after that, most parents who relinquished infants for adoption did not expect to see or hear from those children again. Nicole Chung, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025 Fogerty signed a deal with Fantasy Records in 1968 but relinquished his artist royalties to owner Saul Zaentz in 1980 to get out of the contract, according to Billboard. Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025 This act was the NCAA requirement the players relinquished control over their publicity rights as a condition of eligibility. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish
Verb
  • The Steelers' defense was absolutely shredded by 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals' offense on Thursday night, surrendering 470 total yards in the 33-31 loss.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Resistance from African Leaders As youth protests grow stronger, African governments, particularly those that are military-led, are unlikely to surrender their positions without a fight.
    Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Will Hamas abdicate any role in the future governance of Palestinians?
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • False or deceptive votes and/or acts will render the respective Finalist ineligible.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • If enough satellites are in orbit, this debris could set off a chain reaction, rendering the environment around Earth practically impassable.
    Big Think, Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Osborne resigned from the board in August to move out of state.
    Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Spitzer later resigned, and his wife divorced him the following year.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Dreadnought vessels, due to enter service from the early 2030s, are the replacement for the Vanguard-class submarines, which currently deliver the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) for the Royal Navy.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Let’s give some love to the guys who cleared the lanes for McCaffrey to deliver a vintage performance.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hamas members who renounce violence will be granted amnesty or safe passage, while those who continue resistance will be excluded from Gaza’s future governance.
    Morgan Phillips, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Hamas has yet to accept key parts of that proposal, to include renouncing power and giving up all its arms.
    Brett Samuels, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The dramatic imagery memorializes the successful sendoff for Starship V2, which now cedes the spotlight to its even bigger successors.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Hamas asserts control Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have rejected.
    Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquish. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on relinquish

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