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sur·ro·gate | \ ˈsər-ə-ˌgāt 
, ˈsə-rə- \
, ˈsə-rə- \surrogated; surrogating
Definition of surrogate
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to put in the place of another:
a : to appoint as successor, deputy, or substitute for oneself
b : substitute
sur·ro·gate | \ ˈsər-ə-ˌgāt , ˈsə-rə-, -gət \
, ˈsə-rə-, -gət \Definition of surrogate (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : one appointed to act in place of another : deputy
b : a local judicial officer in some states (such as New York) who has jurisdiction over the probate of wills, the settlement of estates, and the appointment and supervision of guardians
2 : one that serves as a substitute
3 : surrogate mother
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Examples of surrogate in a Sentence
Noun
He could not attend the meeting, so he sent his surrogate.
The governor and her surrogates asked the public to support the change.
They had their baby through a surrogate.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Her memories are replete with references to surrogate grandmas and second mothers, godparents and godchildren, aunts and uncles, none of whom are related.
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Molly Ball, Time, "Kamala Harris Is Making Her Case. But Can She Stand Out in a Crowded Field?," 3 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Throughout the impeachment inquiry, aides and allies have counseled to Trump to stay above the vicious battles over impeachment and leave the partisan brawling to surrogates.
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David Jackson, USA TODAY, "Trump’s effort to rise above impeachment fray thrown off course on chaotic NATO trip," 5 Dec. 2019 In response, all hanging surrogates and large cloths were removed from the cages.
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BostonGlobe.com, "official complaint against the school on Nov. 30," 3 Dec. 2019 But presidents always played it that way, with surrogates making end runs around the foreign policy bureaucracy in Washington.
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John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Adam Schiff plays the hero in Trump Impeachment Theater farce," 14 Nov. 2019 Sanders has allied with surrogates like Linda Sarsour, an activist, and Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan congresswoman, who are harshly critical of Israel — not just because of its policies, but of its status as a Jewish state.
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Ron Kampeas, sun-sentinel.com, "Bernie Sanders writes essay on anti-Semitism for Jewish publication," 12 Nov. 2019 And in backing Warren, Pressley — who ran as an insurgent progressive to oust a longtime Democratic congressman during the 2018 primary — not only embraces a fellow Massachusetts lawmaker, but could act as a prominent black surrogate on the trail.
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Ali Vitali, NBC News, "Ayanna Pressley endorses Elizabeth Warren for president, splitting with rest of 'the squad'," 6 Nov. 2019 High-profile surrogates have often filed for sitting incumbent presidents in past cycles.
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Fox News, "New Hampshire primary gets real as candidates flock to file before deadline: Surprises in store?," 30 Oct. 2019 But, if the patient is deemed incapable of making that decision, DNRs can be signed by guardians or other legal surrogates.
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Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida guardians must get court approval for DNRs under proposed legislation," 16 Oct. 2019 As soon as the trailer finishes, the player leaps out of the black hole, assuming the role of Jonesy, one of the default characters who's become the audience surrogate for the nonsense that happens in the Fortnite universe.
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cleveland, "Fortnite is live again with a new map and more ways to level up," 15 Oct. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surrogate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for surrogate
surrogate
noun English Language Learners Definition of surrogate
: a person or thing that takes the place or performs the duties of someone or something else
See the full definition for surrogate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
surrogate
nounsur·ro·gate | \ -gət, -ˌgāt \
\Medical Definition of surrogate
: one that serves as a substitute: as
a : a representation of a person substituted through symbolizing (as in a dream) for conscious recognition of the person
b : a drug substituted for another drug
c : surrogate mother
surrogate
nounsur·ro·gate | \ ˈsər-ə-gət \
\Legal Definition of surrogate
1 : one acting in the place of another especially : one standing in loco parentis to a child
2 often capitalized : the judge or judicial officer of a Surrogate's Court or Surrogate's office
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Time Traveler for surrogate
The first known use of surrogate was in 1533
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