surrender 1 of 2

verb

sə-ˈren-dər How to pronounce surrender (audio)
Definition of surrendernext
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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surrender

2 of 2

noun

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word surrender different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of surrender are abandon, relinquish, resign, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

In what contexts can abandon take the place of surrender?

While the synonyms abandon and surrender are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than surrender?

The synonyms relinquish and surrender are sometimes interchangeable, but relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When would resign be a good substitute for surrender?

The words resign and surrender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When can waive be used instead of surrender?

The meanings of waive and surrender largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When is it sensible to use yield instead of surrender?

In some situations, the words yield and surrender are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surrender
Verb
To fall in line is to surrender one’s citizenship to a machine convinced it cannot be challenged. —John H Bolthouse, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025 Julian Fleming, 24, surrendered to police and was charged with homicide by motor vehicle, DUI and a host of other related offenses, Pennsylvania State Police said. —David K. Li, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
This card often arrives when a cycle of surrender is necessary. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025 Police firearm regulators examined the items and determined they could potentially be rendered functional, demanding their surrender and subsequent destruction, The Guardian reported. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surrender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender
  1. relinquish
  2. succumb
  3. resign
  4. submit
  5. indulge
  6. submission
  7. render
  8. concede
Verb
  • Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.
    — Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The park’s quiet debut brings to fruition what was envisioned in October 2021, when the city of San Diego relinquished its rights to lease the block from IQHQ and instead entered into a contractual arrangement with the company for a 96-year term.
    — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • Due to their high metabolism and sensitive respiratory system, these small, yellow songbirds succumbed to the invisible, odorless gas much faster than humans.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Shalanda Williams, 43, succumbed to her injuries after being transported to a local hospital, according to the MPD news release.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Definition of succumb
Verb
  • That figure, already the highest on record, is expected to be eclipsed in 2025 as the focus on CEO accountability intensifies, with 25 CEOs resigning year to date after coming under activist pressure, with 20% of the departures occurring at S&P 500 companies.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Fix needed, fast If Lecornu’s efforts over the next few hours fail, Macron will be faced with the choice of appointing a new PM, dissolving parliament and calling fresh parliamentary elections, or resigning.
    — Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
Definition of resign
Verb
  • Online votes can be adjusted during the window; SMS votes are final once submitted.
    — Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
  • O’Connell has submitted a supplemental budget to the Metro Council for review, since the new sales tax funds weren’t anticipated in the original fiscal year 2025 budget.
    — Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of submit
Verb
  • The other people Ye tries to big-foot into indulging his perverse Peter Pan complex fare more poorly.
    — Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Whether that’s indulging Wes Anderson’s imagination (as a three-time member of his ever-growing ensemble) or producing her own projects, Johansson always manages to surprise.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of indulge
Noun
  • However, nominators − worldwide members of research academies, university professors, scientists, previous Nobel Prize laureates and members of parliamentary assemblies and others − can choose to reveal their submissions.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Our Hot Ones submissions for this year, which are an annual barometer of what’s hot and what’s not, are stacked full of guessing-game formats covered with The Traitors’ pawprints.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of submission
Verb
  • Officers found a man next to the store and rendered aid until emergency personnel arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene, Becchina said.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Zelig’s technology renders garments on avatars and shows fabric textures and how the fabrics drape, fold and bunch on models of different heights, sizes and proportions, using thousands of proprietary data points.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of render
Verb
  • Still, even critics conceded his knack for packaging and marketing.
    — Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Alaska's City of Fairbanks Mayor David Pruhs, a Republican, conceded to Mindy O'Neall, a Democrat, in the mayoral election on Tuesday night.
    — Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Definition of concede

Browse Nearby Words

surreality
surrender
surrendered
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Cite this Entry

“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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