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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of capitulating
Sarah Min, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
These law firms have been criticized for arguably capitulating to the president and his desire to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Newsom criticized corporate and university leaders for capitulating to Trump instead of standing up to challenge his policies and rhetoric.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Tsai and Marks can at least point there — even if the Nets later compounded matters by capitulating to Harden in a deal for an injured Ben Simmons.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2026
But here, such altruistic considerations do not justify capitulating to a lawless authoritarian in the White House.
—Max Potter, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
New York — On the surface of it, Disney’s plan to invest $1 billion in OpenAI while licensing its characters to Sora looks a bit like Goliath capitulating to David.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
Lawmakers claimed that banning state laws on AI is akin to capitulating to the technology industry at the expense of states’ rights.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 8 Dec. 2025
But the United States gains nothing from Ukraine capitulating to Russia.
—Sergey Radchenko, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
The two chip plays are outperforming at a time when other parts of the market are capitulating to AI disruption.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
These law firms have been criticized for arguably capitulating to the president and his desire to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Newsom criticized corporate and university leaders for capitulating to Trump instead of standing up to challenge his policies and rhetoric.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Tsai and Marks can at least point there — even if the Nets later compounded matters by capitulating to Harden in a deal for an injured Ben Simmons.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2026
But here, such altruistic considerations do not justify capitulating to a lawless authoritarian in the White House.
—Max Potter, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
New York — On the surface of it, Disney’s plan to invest $1 billion in OpenAI while licensing its characters to Sora looks a bit like Goliath capitulating to David.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
Lawmakers claimed that banning state laws on AI is akin to capitulating to the technology industry at the expense of states’ rights.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 8 Dec. 2025
But the United States gains nothing from Ukraine capitulating to Russia.
—Sergey Radchenko, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capitulating
Noun
-
The surrender of Bo Nagar, a leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army or BNRA, in the upper-central region of Sagaing was a dramatic reminder of fractures within the armed resistance movement, which has led to sporadic clashes over control of territory and administrative disputes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Where analysts differ is on what those changes ultimately represent — whether a pragmatic path toward recovery, an incomplete liberalization constrained by PDVSA’s institutional decay, or a historic surrender of oil sovereignty under foreign oversight.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And then Malinin, 21, imploded in a shocking collapse, succumbing to the enormous pressure of his first Winter Games and finishing an incomprehensible eighth.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Her elder two sisters died at 10 and 11; her sister Anne at 29; her ne’er-do-well brother Branwell at 31; and Charlotte at the ripe age of 38—all succumbing to tuberculosis.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The suspect pulled over to the side of the freeway near the 101 Freeway northbound before surrendering to CHP officers.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Picking up his fourth and fifth strikeouts of the afternoon and inducing a soft ground ball, Dylan Volantis completed his fifth inning of work without surrendering a hit.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Like wrestling, jiujitsu emphasizes takedowns, control and submission holds instead of punches or kicks.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In Kuwait, Marseille turned in an impressive performance and were leading PSG 2-1, before conceding a 95th-minute equaliser.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Trump won reelection in 2024 without ever conceding his defeat in 2020.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Roethling recommends submitting the sample to your local Cooperative Extension office for accurate testing.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
20 Feb. 2026
-
When submitting, please include your address along with the specific date and time of the video.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the national anthem played following their victories, Smith and Carlos expressed their anger about racial injustice in America by bowing their heads and raising their fists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
For its inaugural issue bowing in Saturday, the magazine tapped Naomi Campbell as cover star.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Capitulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capitulating. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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