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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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
Trump at the same time threatened tariffs of up to 25% on eight NATO members if the island is not ceded.
—
Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
Denmark does not want to cede control of Greenland to the United States.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814, when they were ceded by France.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The economic disruption that followed forced a rethink of trade policy, and Congress responded by ceding more authority to the President.
—Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cede
Sarah Min, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
Denmark does not want to cede control of Greenland to the United States.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814, when they were ceded by France.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The economic disruption that followed forced a rethink of trade policy, and Congress responded by ceding more authority to the President.
—Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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But as anyone knows who’s ever lost — or even voluntarily relinquished — a foundational piece of themselves, to understand loss is not the same as to accept it.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
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The president doubled down on his hostilities late Monday, criticizing Britain’s decision to relinquish control of the Chagos Islands, an Indian Ocean archipelago home to an Anglo-American military base.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His remarks to reporters earlier today were the first since the president assigned him to lead federal operations in Minnesota, after Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino made his exit this week.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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The News predicts the UIL will assign DeSoto to a new-look District 7-5AI that will also include Cedar Hill, Crandall, Lancaster, Mesquite, Midlothian, North Mesquite and West Mesquite.—
Myah Taylor,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The same could be said for Frederik's mother, Queen Margrethe II, 85, who two years ago voluntarily abdicated the throne to make way for her son.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Jan. 2026
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When that responsibility is abdicated or abused, the system orients itself around avoidance and silence.—
Jon Duffy,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Only later did Wright discover that Valerio was surrendered to the shelter after biting his previous owner’s elderly mother in the face.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Brooklyn surrendered just four points over a long stretch, and Sharpe’s steal led to a Tyrese Martin breakaway dunk that tied the game at 70.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bilodeau transferred the momentum from his game-winning shot on Tuesday to Saturday’s first half.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Then identify 3-5 specific roles or industries where my existing skills would transfer well, and that offer stronger job security and growth potential than my previous field.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And several federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned amid pressure to look into Good's widow and treat the case as an assault on a federal officer, CBS News has reported.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Three months later, a critical engineering group resigns together.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The pill his team developed, YCT-529, works by blocking a vitamin-A-dependent protein essential for sperm growth, temporarily rendering men infertile without affecting their testosterone levels and thereby potentially introducing related side effects.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Supporters of the pardon power further assured their colleagues that impeachment would furnish a corrective to any overuse of pardoning, underestimating the extent to which the modern party system would render this nearly impossible.—
Bernadette Meyler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As outré as Camel Lights gets, the presence of such treasured guests and ideas apparently rattling around Geologist’s brain for 28 years conveys the sense that this is a genuinely personal work—not a one-off novelty.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
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Tech CFOs are tasked with conveying that strategy clearly to investors, bridging the gap between bold spending and long-term returns.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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