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
Arkansas Online, 20 June 2025
Corporate clients and legal talent are deserting law firms that surrendered to Trump because the surrenders have brought into question the integrity of these firm’s managing partners.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 18 June 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
Europe's push for diplomacy is in sharp contrast to messages from Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump openly weighing bombing Iran and calling for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian leadership.
—Arkansas Online, 20 June 2025
Corporate clients and legal talent are deserting law firms that surrendered to Trump because the surrenders have brought into question the integrity of these firm’s managing partners.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 18 June 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
-
Lionsgate spent years developing the project before relinquishing it to UA.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
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
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Eric Garrett, who oversaw Ross’ department as CHA’s chief operating officer, resigned Jan. 3 and received around $87,200 per his separation agreement and Tribune calculations.—
Lizzie Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
-
One member resigned earlier this week and three others asked for their names to be removed from the report.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2025
Verb
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This dual-layer approach ensures accurate judgment when reviewing résumés submitted via AI systems.—
Sherri Reese,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Or a therapist who submits weekly reports for a patient, only to later discover that the patient had been in custody for months.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Baker, 37, indulged them, starting out of her Fairfax, Calif., living room a finance club that eventually became her present-day financial education startup, Dow Janes — which boasts an Instagram following of nearly half a million.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
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But unfortunately, indulging too much in fried foods will trigger your cortisol.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Poirier failed to unify the title, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission at UFC 242 in September 2019.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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This helps users meet limits on meta descriptions, ads or submission forms.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
27 June 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
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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 12 Jul. 2025.
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