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 Any show of weakness by the President in acquiescing to Moscow’s demands will fuel Beijing’s ambition to seize Taiwan, as well as encourage Kim Jong Un—another Putin ally—to use force against South Korea. Miriam Sapiro, Time, 15 Aug. 2025 That failure is symbolized most starkly in the mute dissolution of his own group, formed to help save Chicago from its pension morass but which instead silently acquiesced in making that threat markedly worse. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 Mexico acquiesced to the transfer on the condition that the Department of Justice wouldn’t pursue the death penalty against them. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025 The fight only ended when Berman acquiesced, after Barr agreed to install the lawyer’s deputy to the post. Ella Lee, The Hill, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for acquiesce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquiesce
Verb
  • Later, Howard calls Matt and agrees to cut the sequence but also threatens to destroy him.
    Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • According to documents from the vote, PS agreed to a 20-year contract with the county.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • His representatives soon assented to de Moraes’s orders, including taking down the offending accounts and paying the fines.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This crisis has shown us which world leaders will not only consent to this genocide, but brutally discipline their populations for having the gall to question it.
    Jack Sheehan September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
    Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After all, Charles, at 73, was already the oldest person to accede to the British throne when he was crowned.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Camilla became Queen in 2022 when her husband, King Charles, acceded the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
    Jack Guy, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acquiesce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquiesce. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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