as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
the tug-of-war will continue until the capitulating of one side or the other
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in succumbing
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
one side finally capitulated when it became clear that they couldn't win the argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surrendering
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
the city reluctantly capitulated to the invaders after a three-day siege
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of capitulating
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Since the beginning of this administration, Silicon Valley’s biggest bosses have appeased the president, capitulating to his every whim — agreeing to pay export taxes, giving away equity to the government, defunding schools for Latino students and ending diversity programs.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
The government’s response only deepened the criticism that the world’s largest democracy was apparently capitulating to the Taliban, which has been diplomatically isolated over its treatment of women and girls.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Guerrero and his Blue Jays teammates are nowhere close to capitulating, down 2-0 in a best-of-seven format.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Their settlement comes on the heels of figures including Barack Obama and Kamala Harris criticizing corporate executives for capitulating to the administration’s demands.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
But the vote provoked a firestorm from progressive groups and rank-and-file Democrats, who accused him of capitulating without winning concessions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
These numbers may seem small, but their effect is profound, especially when wielded by longtime Aston design chief Marek Reichman and his team, who have masterfully created a timeless brand language that continues to evolve and feel au courant while never capitulating to trends.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025
Be consistent, which means not capitulating to external influences that may or may not be relevant a year from now.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Earlier in the year, Chuck Schumer, the Minority Leader, had rallied enough votes to keep the government open and faced a furious backlash from the Democratic base; capitulating again would have been politically intolerable.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Since the beginning of this administration, Silicon Valley’s biggest bosses have appeased the president, capitulating to his every whim — agreeing to pay export taxes, giving away equity to the government, defunding schools for Latino students and ending diversity programs.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
The government’s response only deepened the criticism that the world’s largest democracy was apparently capitulating to the Taliban, which has been diplomatically isolated over its treatment of women and girls.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Guerrero and his Blue Jays teammates are nowhere close to capitulating, down 2-0 in a best-of-seven format.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Their settlement comes on the heels of figures including Barack Obama and Kamala Harris criticizing corporate executives for capitulating to the administration’s demands.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
But the vote provoked a firestorm from progressive groups and rank-and-file Democrats, who accused him of capitulating without winning concessions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
These numbers may seem small, but their effect is profound, especially when wielded by longtime Aston design chief Marek Reichman and his team, who have masterfully created a timeless brand language that continues to evolve and feel au courant while never capitulating to trends.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025
Be consistent, which means not capitulating to external influences that may or may not be relevant a year from now.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capitulating
Noun
-
Roskam said the most successful gun surrender laws also have strong follow-up.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Reuters reported in late March that Carvajal has been negotiating a possible surrender to the United States to, like Alcalá, potentially cooperate in any prosecution of the Maduro regime.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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There seemed to be an element of sadomasochistic play in their relationship, of withholding and succumbing, that contravenes the popular sense of an unremitting dominant-submissive dynamic.—
Daphne Merkin,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
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To the public eye, this might look like scientists are succumbing to groupthink and an unreasonable resistance to any new ideas.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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How to Watch Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys struggled defensively in their 44-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos last week, surrendering four touchdown passes and 426 yards of offense.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
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Andrew might not move to Sandringham until after the Christmas holidays, another source said, because giving notice, surrendering the lease and orchestrating the move is expected to take some time.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For him, embracing this year’s Palme d’Or winner as France’s Oscar submission — giving Panahi a platform that had long been out of reach — felt like a natural next step for an ecosystem that has consistently embraced global auteurs.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Three states have announced their submissions of their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) plans to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Yet on the road Spurs are the best team in the land, earning 13 points from 15, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Without conceding much, Washington could stop cross-strait antagonisms from descending further and create room for a better trajectory to emerge.—
STEPHEN WERTHEIM,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Going public via a traditional IPO, after all, means submitting to intense financial scrutiny from banks, investors and regulators.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
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And students in English classes often used online tools like Grammarly to check grammar and punctuation before submitting assignments.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Cannes-bowing film, starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and set against the backdrop of political arrest in 1993 Nigeria, leads the pack of titles going into this year’s BIFA ceremony with 12 nominations, including best British independent film and director.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
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In Indiana, Republican Governor Mike Braun called a special legislative session for next Monday to weigh redistricting proposals in his state, bowing to a White House pressure campaign.—
Steve Gorman,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Capitulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capitulating. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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