Definition of acquiescenext

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 Now Zelenskyy has been left with no choice but to acquiesce to protesters by firing controversial general and close ally Oleksandr Syrskyi and replacing him with Mykhailo Drapatyi, a 43-year-old Fedorov acolyte. — Elliott Goat, TheWeek, 22 July 2026 Quick POCs and pretty dashboards then get business leaders to acquiesce to an AI project. — Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Some employers, including those who have been anti-remote in the past, are starting to acquiesce to employees’ requests for more work from home opportunities as a result of this summer’s events. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 9 July 2026 It is intended to pressure union members into acquiescing to management’s demands. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquiesce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquiesce
Verb
  • The tech giant has agreed to pay a premium for new electricity coming from planned upgrades to two of the utility’s nuclear reactors.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The museum has drawn loads of applause but also plenty of criticism, mostly for its lack of context via wall text, and for displaying art that not everyone agrees should be elevated.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • False endorsement and misappropriation, FanDuel could insist, are inapplicable to a personalized video setting where the video’s talent voluntarily assents in exchange for compensation.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
  • Their mothers assented because anything the cousins did together could be considered family time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • The genetic genealogy technique involves taking crime scene evidence to develop a profile that is used to search consumer DNA databases for genetic relatives who consented to assist law enforcement.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • And then another concession came late Sunday, when Republicans said Trump consented to a tougher ethics proposal that several key senators had demanded.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Weeks of work were undone by last minute demands that the Canadians simply could not accede to.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Despite all of this potential economic turmoil on the Canadian side, Carney still concluded that at the end of the day, the cost of acceding to Washington’s extravagant demands was higher than the cost of job losses and strain on a key industry.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acquiesce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquiesce. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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