surrender

verb

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sur·ren·der | \ sə-ˈren-dər

surrendered; surrendering\ sə-ˈren-d(ə-)riŋ

Definition of surrender

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner

b : to give (oneself) over to something (such as an influence)

intransitive verb

: to give oneself up into the power of another : yield

surrender

noun

Definition of surrender (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

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Choose the Right Synonym for surrender

Verb

relinquish, yield, resign, surrender, abandon, waive mean to give up completely. relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness. relinquished her crown yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force. the troops yielded ground grudgingly resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle. resigned her position surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist. surrendered their claims abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up. abandoned all hope waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion. waived the right to a trial by jury

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Ruth was forced to surrender her fortune when her husband was convicted. — NBC News, "What happened to Bernie Madoff's family? Where Ruth Madoff and others are now," 15 Apr. 2021 Australians were compelled to surrender their guns. — Varad Mehta, Washington Examiner, "Gun control gone Down Under," 15 Apr. 2021 To make music together with other people in person is to surrender — and to be released from — the pursuit of perfection. — New York Times, "The Skagit Valley," 8 Apr. 2021 But a restraining order signed by a judge forced White to vacate his home, stay away from his wife and children, and surrender his service weapon. — BostonGlobe.com, "Janey expects Dennis White investigation to conclude by the end of the month," 8 Apr. 2021 Roberts stipulated to a 72-month sentence and agreed to surrender his Alabama medical license. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Tuscaloosa pharmaceutical sales rep gets federal prison in health insurance billing fraud scheme," 7 Apr. 2021 Brian Lister missed the cutoff date and would have to surrender the pelts. — oregonlive, "Oregon deputy’s flouting of bobcat trapping rules may lead to loss of police certification," 30 Mar. 2021 This is no time to surrender, preemptively à la Obama, to either austerians or rentier tax-cut enthusiasts. — Robert Hockett, Forbes, "The Specter Of ‘the Specter Of Inflation’," 4 Apr. 2021 The government has hunted insurgent leaders, killing a large number or forcing them to surrender, and insurgent attacks have declined in frequency and potency. — New York Times, "Maoist Insurgents Kill 23 Indian Forces in Ambush, Officials Say," 4 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The Mighty Mo, as the battleship was known, was commissioned in 1944 and participated in the World War II battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as serving as the site where Japan signed terms of surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, ending that war. — Los Angeles Times, "Today’s Headlines: How big is the reopening risk?," 31 Mar. 2021 The judges also took issue with the trial prosecutor’s assertions to the jury that Phillips and Sutton could not prove what motive the police would have to pin the shooting on them and questions about why the men would run instead of surrender. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland, "Men imprisoned since 2006 get new trial after Cleveland police officers contradict fellow officers’ testimony," 18 Mar. 2021 There was no immediate response, but five minutes later, the officer got back on the loudspeaker, demanding Alissa surrender. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Grocery store worker recounts shooter’s surrender: ‘I surrender, I’m naked’," 24 Mar. 2021 The enclave is home to 3 million civilians and a host of jihadi actors that include 10,000 armed militants – most of whom washed up in Idlib as part of previous surrender agreements elsewhere in the country. — Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Syria, after 10 years of conflict: No war and no peace," 3 Mar. 2021 Among cable operators smaller than industry-leading Comcast, the trend of TV surrender is even more dramatic. — Rob Pegoraro, Forbes, "Analyst Report: The Pay-TV Bundle Looks Even More Doomed—And Streaming Won’t Save It," 2 Mar. 2021 Between the two mutable signs, a balance is struck between system and surrender. — Gala Mukomolova, refinery29.com, "What Does The Full Moon In Virgo Mean? Use Your Intuition," 2 Mar. 2021 Pompey Peters of Worcester enlisted in May 1778 and served five years, survived a skirmish at the Battle of Monmouth, and was present at the British surrender at Yorktown. — David A. Taylor, Smithsonian Magazine, "Black Soldiers Played an Undeniable but Largely Unheralded Role in Founding the United States," 25 Feb. 2021 Funded by an organization from Indiana, the newborn surrender safety boxes would operate much like a book return at a library with openings on either side. — Steven Walker, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida lawmakers consider ‘baby box’ as a place to abandon newborns," 23 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surrender.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for surrender

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

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Last Updated

20 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surrender. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for surrender

surrender

verb

English Language Learners Definition of surrender

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to agree to stop fighting, hiding, resisting, etc., because you know that you will not win or succeed

: to give the control or use of (something) to someone else

: to allow something (such as a habit or desire) to influence or control you

surrender

noun

English Language Learners Definition of surrender (Entry 2 of 2)

: an agreement to stop fighting, hiding, resisting, etc., because you know that you will not win or succeed : an act of surrendering

: the act of giving the control or use of something to someone else

: the act of allowing yourself to be influenced or controlled by someone or something

See the full definition for surrender in the English Language Learners Dictionary

surrender

verb

sur·ren·der | \ sə-ˈren-dər

surrendered; surrendering

Kids Definition of surrender

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to give up after a struggle The soldiers surrendered. We'll never surrender the fort.

2 : to let go of : relinquish We surrendered our place in line.

surrender

noun

Kids Definition of surrender (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of giving up after a struggle

2 : the act of giving something over to the possession or control of someone else

surrender

transitive verb

sur·ren·der

Legal Definition of surrender

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

intransitive verb

: to give oneself up

surrender

noun

Legal Definition of surrender (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

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