1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
she reluctantly ceded her position as leader
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to assign
to give over the legal possession or ownership of
Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States as part of the settlement of the Spanish-American War
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to abdicate
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the President officially cedes his position on the January 20th immediately following the presidential election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cede
The unpalatable alternative for Macron would be dissolving parliament again, ceding to pressure from the far right in particular for another unscheduled cycle of legislative elections.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Macron, unwilling to cede government leadership to either side, instead appointed loyalists to lead minority governments but these have proven vulnerable to no-confidence motions from rival parties.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
Putin tacitly acknowledged Russia’s failure by demanding that Ukraine voluntarily cede the entire region in August, an idea that no one took seriously.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
But even after Wayans gives in to tears over ceding the spotlight, the scene cuts to him looking intimidatingly, perhaps triumphantly, into the camera.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cede
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Macron, unwilling to cede government leadership to either side, instead appointed loyalists to lead minority governments but these have proven vulnerable to no-confidence motions from rival parties.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
Putin tacitly acknowledged Russia’s failure by demanding that Ukraine voluntarily cede the entire region in August, an idea that no one took seriously.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
But even after Wayans gives in to tears over ceding the spotlight, the scene cuts to him looking intimidatingly, perhaps triumphantly, into the camera.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.—
Matthew Redmond,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
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The park’s quiet debut brings to fruition what was envisioned in October 2021, when the city of San Diego relinquished its rights to lease the block from IQHQ and instead entered into a contractual arrangement with the company for a 96-year term.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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They were promoted to creative directors of accessories at Valentino when Alessandra Facchinetti was assigned the same title for ready-to-wear after Garavani retired in 2007.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
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Prouse's priority was to avoid any child feeling labeled or purposely assigned to a table that wasn't as academically strong.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Will Hamas abdicate any role in the future governance of Palestinians?—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
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Trump’s plan calls for Hamas to lay down its arms, leave the Gaza Strip and abdicate any role in a future government in Gaza.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a recent speech, Kim urged Washington to drop its demand for the North to surrender its nukes as a precondition for resuming diplomacy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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The 82 total yards the Broncos surrendered Sunday?—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But last year, Haitians abroad, the majority of whom live in the United States, transferred more than $4 billion home through formal channels, according to the country’s central bank.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
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Simply shape and divide the dough, freeze pieces on a parchment-line sheet pan until firm, and then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Osborne resigned from the board in August to move out of state.—
Edward McKinnon,
Arkansas Online,
16 Oct. 2025
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Spitzer later resigned, and his wife divorced him the following year.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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False or deceptive votes and/or acts will render the respective Finalist ineligible.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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If enough satellites are in orbit, this debris could set off a chain reaction, rendering the environment around Earth practically impassable.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One sentence or word can’t possibly convey the breadth of a 300-page book!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
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Her hydrangeas, roses, and spruces convey a mood, an attitude.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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