sur·ren·der
sə-ˈren-dər 
surrendered; surrendering
sə-ˈren-d(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand
surrendered the fort
b
: to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another
2
a
: to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner
b
: to give (oneself) over to something (such as an influence)
: to give oneself up into the power of another : yield
1
a
: the action of yielding one's person or giving up the possession of something especially into the power of another
b
: the relinquishment by a patentee of rights or claims under a patent
c
: the delivery of a principal into lawful custody by bail
called also surrender by bail
d
: the voluntary cancellation of the legal liability of an insurance company by the insured and beneficiary for a consideration
e
: the delivery of a fugitive from justice by one government to another
2
: an instance of surrendering
Synonyms
Examples of surrender in a Sentence
Verb
The enemy finally surrendered after three days of fighting.
The gunman surrendered and was taken into custody.
The troops were forced to surrender the fort.
They were required to surrender their passports.
the surrendering of land to the government
He refused to surrender to despair.
He refused to surrender himself to despair.
Noun
Their surrender was formalized in a treaty.
They demanded an unconditional surrender.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2023
The win came one week after Mission Hills was handed a forfeit win over Lawndale, which surrendered two days before game day while pleading a shortage of healthy players.
—Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
Trump surrendered last Thursday at the Fulton County jail and was booked and processed as a first step in going to trial.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
One of the two businesses that had bar license applications approved — The Palace, at 917 S. State St., Salt Lake City — surrendered its existing on-premises license to upgrade to its new license.
—Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
The program brings together law enforcement and church groups so fugitives wanted on felony warrants can surrender in a safe setting.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2023
Trump surrendered to Georgia authorities last week on charges of felony racketeering for trying to overturn the state’s election results after the 2020 general election.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2023
Trump surrendered Thursday in the Georgia case, posing with a scowl for the first mug shot in American history of a former U.S. president.
—Eric Tucker, Lindsay Whitehurst, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2023
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office released his booking photo Thursday night after Trump surrendered at the Atlanta jail to face charges stemming from his fourth indictment this year.
—Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2023
Dennis Victory, al, 12 Sep. 2023
Officials urged local residents to be wary and keep homes and cars locked, and police broadcast a plea for surrender from the convict's mother.
—USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up Also different from his previous surrenders: authorities are expected to take a booking photo of the former president.
—Sudhin Thanawala and Kate Brumback, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023
Trump’s impending surrender and the fireworks and flubs of the other presidential hopefuls shaped the narrative, rather than a chat between two men grasping to reclaim their former seats of power.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
Former President Donald Trump has arrived in Atlanta ahead of his surrender at the Fulton County jail.
—Jozsef Papp, ajc, 24 Aug. 2023
As the invasion passes the year and a half mark and Kyiv’s counteroffensive claws back territory bit by bit, many Western officials and analysts warn of a potential impasse, in which no one wins or surrenders, nor is willing to sit at a negotiating table.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2023
Owners looking to surrender a cat should contact their local humane society or private rescue to schedule a surrender appointment.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2023
On Thursday night, as Trump's motorcade was arriving at the Fulton County, Georgia, jail for his surrender on charges related to the push to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, Biden blasted out a fundraising pitch online.
—Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2023
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Verb
The teen, a student at a high school for academic achievers, surrendered after he was ordered to the ground, Davis said.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2023
The win came one week after Mission Hills was handed a forfeit win over Lawndale, which surrendered two days before game day while pleading a shortage of healthy players.
—Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
Trump surrendered last Thursday at the Fulton County jail and was booked and processed as a first step in going to trial.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
One of the two businesses that had bar license applications approved — The Palace, at 917 S. State St., Salt Lake City — surrendered its existing on-premises license to upgrade to its new license.
—Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
The program brings together law enforcement and church groups so fugitives wanted on felony warrants can surrender in a safe setting.
—Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2023
Trump surrendered to Georgia authorities last week on charges of felony racketeering for trying to overturn the state’s election results after the 2020 general election.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2023
Trump surrendered Thursday in the Georgia case, posing with a scowl for the first mug shot in American history of a former U.S. president.
—Eric Tucker, Lindsay Whitehurst, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2023
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office released his booking photo Thursday night after Trump surrendered at the Atlanta jail to face charges stemming from his fourth indictment this year.
—Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2023
Noun
Hoover scores 21 points a game and surrenders 29 while Vestavia Hills scores 27 points and allows 10.3 points a game.
—Dennis Victory, al, 12 Sep. 2023
Officials urged local residents to be wary and keep homes and cars locked, and police broadcast a plea for surrender from the convict's mother.
—USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up Also different from his previous surrenders: authorities are expected to take a booking photo of the former president.
—Sudhin Thanawala and Kate Brumback, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023
Trump’s impending surrender and the fireworks and flubs of the other presidential hopefuls shaped the narrative, rather than a chat between two men grasping to reclaim their former seats of power.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
Former President Donald Trump has arrived in Atlanta ahead of his surrender at the Fulton County jail.
—Jozsef Papp, ajc, 24 Aug. 2023
As the invasion passes the year and a half mark and Kyiv’s counteroffensive claws back territory bit by bit, many Western officials and analysts warn of a potential impasse, in which no one wins or surrenders, nor is willing to sit at a negotiating table.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2023
Owners looking to surrender a cat should contact their local humane society or private rescue to schedule a surrender appointment.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2023
On Thursday night, as Trump's motorcade was arriving at the Fulton County, Georgia, jail for his surrender on charges related to the push to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, Biden blasted out a fundraising pitch online.
—Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surrender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English surrendren, from surrendre, noun
Noun
Middle English surrendre, from Anglo-French, from surrendre, susrendre to relinquish, from sur- & sus-, suz under + rendre to give back — more at render, sous-chef
First Known Use
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of surrender was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing surrender
Dictionary Entries Near surrender
Cite this Entry
“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surrender. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
surrender
1 of 2 verb
sur·ren·der
sə-ˈren-dər
surrendered; surrendering
-d(ə-)riŋ
1
: to give over to the power, control, or possession of another especially by force
2
: to give oneself over to something
surrender
2 of 2 noun
: the giving of oneself or something into the power of another person or thing
Legal Definition
surrender
1 of 2 transitive verb
sur·ren·der
1
a
: to yield to the control or possession of another
surrender the leased premises
surrender collateral to a creditor
b
: to give up completely or agree to forgo
c
: to cancel (one's insurance policy) voluntarily
2
: to give over to the custody of the law
surrender a defendant
: to give oneself up
surrender
2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of surrendering
discharge an obligor by surrender of a promissory note
especially
: the yielding of an estate by a tenant to the landlord so that the leasehold interest is extinguished by mutual agreement
More from Merriam-Webster on surrender
Nglish: Translation of surrender for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of surrender for Arabic Speakers
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