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
The islands have been under British control since 1814, when they were ceded by France.
—
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Mother Windsor, site of the first English settlement that eventually ceded away the land that became more than a dozen other towns, reminded us a mother still lays claim to essential wisdom.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Since returning from a three-game injury absence, James has ceded more control of the offense to Doncic and Reaves.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Congress has gradually ceded its war powers to the executive branch, often preferring political safety to constitutional responsibility.
—Kenneth Zagacki, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cede
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Mother Windsor, site of the first English settlement that eventually ceded away the land that became more than a dozen other towns, reminded us a mother still lays claim to essential wisdom.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026
Since returning from a three-game injury absence, James has ceded more control of the offense to Doncic and Reaves.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Congress has gradually ceded its war powers to the executive branch, often preferring political safety to constitutional responsibility.
—Kenneth Zagacki, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.—
David Rising,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Bohm’s lawsuit demands at least $3 million in damages and that his parents relinquish control of the accounts.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a similar case in New Mexico, a jury on Tuesday ruled that Meta had knowingly harmed children’s mental health, and assigned the company a penalty of $375 million.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
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Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made history as the first openly transgender woman to do so in Tokyo in 2021, though no woman who transitioned after being assigned male at birth is known to have participated in an Olympics since.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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RadarOnline reported that the King is planning to abdicate soon.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
27 Mar. 2026
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In its most hostile version, the same qualities are recast as evidence of his succumbing to spectacle and abdicating basic architectural responsibility.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Boston College pledge, junior Maddie Richey surrendered just 1 hit over 4 innings while striking out 8 for Country Day (4-2 overall, 1-0 confernece).—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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Caleb Elliott surrendered his teaching license and remains in jail on multiple federal charges.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After being placed in the trunk of Aaron's car, she was driven for a bit, transferred to the trunk of another car, and driven for hours.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The maps were never used, because Shakur was transferred from West Virginia to a prison in New Jersey.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sinagra said that Brooksby resigned as a consequence of the complaints, but disagreed with them.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Recently, Joe Kent, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned earlier this month in opposition to the war, went on Tucker Carlson’s show.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gulf nations are highly reliant on desalination for fresh water, and damage to the region’s hundreds of plants could render its major cities unlivable, The Associated Press reported; attacks by any side could constitute war crimes.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The fresh precipitation had rendered the thin roads above Lake Tahoe almost indistinguishable from the frosted forests around them.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Musically, the singer-songwriter presents us with 13 tracks of sonic elegance, featuring electronic touches and mesmerizing guitars that convey nostalgia while also reflecting the overflowing joy of someone who has overcome an emotional crisis.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
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That could imply staff changes or bringing in new people, as well as adjustments to the models used to forecast the economy and communications strategy the Fed uses to convey its policy outlook to markets and the public.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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