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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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
In the past, union members gladly ceded authority to the union because benefits ensued — more generous pensions, improved working conditions and the like.
—
Jill Ebstein, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
The Biden White House at the time rebutted all concerns, yet the former president’s health while in office remains the object of congressional scrutiny, particularly after he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer shortly after ceding the presidency to Trump in January.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Instead, business became personal, leaving Jones to cede leverage and trade Parsons for 50 cents on the dollar.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
If that model gets it to market before the Falcon 230, Evoy won't ever cede even the smallest gem of its power crown.
—New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cede
Jill Ebstein, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
The Biden White House at the time rebutted all concerns, yet the former president’s health while in office remains the object of congressional scrutiny, particularly after he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer shortly after ceding the presidency to Trump in January.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Instead, business became personal, leaving Jones to cede leverage and trade Parsons for 50 cents on the dollar.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
If that model gets it to market before the Falcon 230, Evoy won't ever cede even the smallest gem of its power crown.
—New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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After Israel’s total aid blockade began in March, Gazans began staging anti-Hamas protests in the northern part of the strip, calling for the immediate entry of aid and for Hamas to relinquish power.—
Leila Seurat,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Aug. 2025
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More importantly they were shocked and saddened to hear what was happening, so intervened quickly, speaking to staff on the phone to confirm their desire to relinquish ownership of Mochi.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Among other resources, an engine has also been assigned to fight the wildfire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Their goal was to find an IP address — the unique identifier assigned to every cell phone and computer — that could reveal the source.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When in a turn of events, Theo abdicates from his position as Duke of Tintagel, and would therefore be divorcing Nan to be with Lizzie, Nan runs away to protect her baby, who would be the heir of Tintagel.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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So far, however, Trump’s allies in Congress have almost wholly abdicated this role, and although lower courts have issued injunctions against some of the administration’s actions and policies, the Supreme Court has repeatedly found ways to expand executive power.—
MICHAEL JOHNSTON,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
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After allowing 18 chunk plays against Appalachian State, Charlotte surrendered just eight on Saturday night.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Horses transferred to other trainers ― most notably more than a dozen 2-year-olds to Steve Asmussen.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
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Top players transferring to top programs has been a growing trend over the past decade, and that will only increase with the TSSAA one-time transfer rule.—
Cecil Joyce,
The Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At least three senior CDC leaders have resigned citing Kennedy's leadership and vaccine policy.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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In July, an AI company CEO and HR executive were forced to resign after being filmed cuddling on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts; both were married to other people.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Here, Ne Zha 2 succeeds wildly; locales such as a heavenly city made entirely of jade and a towering, bamboo-verdant waterfall are rendered with genuinely beautiful texture and detail.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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All rendered by paleolithic artists using charcoal and red ochre.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The warm welcome Putin received in China, coupled with the military and diplomatic might on display during the summit and the military parade, was designed to convey a message.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
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These artists no doubt saw themselves in the plucky perspective that Swift’s lyrics conveyed.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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