acquiesce

Synonym Chooser

How is the word acquiesce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of acquiesce are accede, agree, assent, consent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

When is it sensible to use accede instead of acquiesce?

The words accede and acquiesce can be used in similar contexts, but accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When would agree be a good substitute for acquiesce?

Although the words agree and acquiesce have much in common, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

When could assent be used to replace acquiesce?

The meanings of assent and acquiesce largely overlap; however, assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When is consent a more appropriate choice than acquiesce?

While the synonyms consent and acquiesce are close in meaning, consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When can subscribe be used instead of acquiesce?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquiesce, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

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 acquiesce Choosing to preserve her sanity, Alesia acquiesces. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 May 2025 What was amazing, however, was how meekly the Thunder acquiesced to this arrangement. John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 June 2025 If the buyer is complaining about cosmetic or trivial things, like the dark blue wall in the main bathroom or the leaky kitchen faucet, think twice about acquiescing. Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025 Columbia University and Ohio State – alma mater of Vice President J.D. Vance – are among the other institutions that have lost federal dollars, even after acquiescing to some of the government’s demands. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for acquiesce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquiesce
Verb
  • The University of Pennsylvania agreed to a resolution with President Donald Trump's administration to keep males out of women's sports and apologize to every woman swimmer who was affected by the presence of trans athlete Lia Thomas in the 2021-22 season.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
  • Earlier this year, Kubler settled the SEC’s claims and agreed to pay penalties.
    Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • The lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, Seth P. Waxman, a solicitor general for the Clinton administration, initially refused, but eventually assented after further criticism from Judge Reyes.
    Chris Cameron, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
  • China has built Russia’s defense industrial base, helped Iran provide Russia with one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, and assented as North Korea has sent troops to fight in Europe.
    Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The justices ruled that the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization’s due process rights are not violated by the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, which forces them to consent to federal courts’ authority.
    Ella Lee, The Hill, 25 June 2025
  • These include doing skin-sensitivity tests on consenting human volunteers, using human skin, tissues, and cell cultures, and employing perhaps silco models.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • More politics news: NATO members voted to more than double their defense spending targets to 5% of GDP, acceding to a previous demand from Trump.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 26 June 2025
  • The change paved the way for female descendants of King Albert II, Philippe’s father, to accede based on birth order, meaning that sons would no longer skip ahead of their sisters in the line of succession.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acquiesce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquiesce. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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