surrender

1 of 2

verb

sur·​ren·​der sə-ˈren-dər 

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

transitive verb

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)

intransitive verb

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

surrender

2 of 2

noun

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

Verb

• cede
• cough up
• deliver
• give up
• hand over
• lay down
• relinquish
• render
• turn in
• turn over
• yield

Noun

• capitulating
• capitulation
• cession
• handover
• relinquishment
• rendition
• submission
• submitting

Choose the Right Synonym for surrender

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

While it’s been relatively rare for charter schools in Fort Worth to surrender their charters, Rocketship Texas’ closure comes about a year after the closure of another local campus, for similar reasons. —Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2025

Samia’s fate remains unknown as she’s reported to be be held in the Sudanese prison Kober, known for its treacherous conditions, which is the intel that leads Martian to surrender to James Richardson’s (Hugh Bonneville) condition to become a double agent. —Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025

Noun

Military leaders pushed those possibilities to hellish extremes, following the logic that killing civilians might induce surrender. —Colin Jones, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025

History has long taught us that such appeasement doesn’t work when concession is seen as weakness—or even as surrender. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 19 Apr. 2025

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

Phrases Containing surrender

• self-surrender

Rhymes for surrender

• bartender
• contender
• defender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender
• blender

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

intransitive verb

: 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