1
as in relinquished
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 transferred
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in abdicated
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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Recent Examples of ceded
The models who went all the way were the ones who ceded to Banks’s worldview, who agreed to have their hair dyed and their teeth messed with and their bodies altered.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
For decades, America ceded this control, a strategic blunder that left our security perilously dependent on China, which now dominates over 80% of the global supply chain.
—Markos Kounalakis, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Chalamet, while Marty’s best bet, has lately looked like less of a sure thing, while a win for Byrne would be a pleasant surprise in a race that pundits long ago ceded to Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The Neo brings that same approach to a part of the market Apple has mostly ceded for years — students, budget-conscious households and the many iPhone users who have never owned a Mac.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Instigated by the dictatorship invading territories long ago ceded to the English, the war was the new government’s futile attempt to restore a nationalist fantasy of Argentina’s borders (and distract from the country’s collapsing economy).
—Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
For almost a year, the Saudis and other key members have been engaged in an apparent push to reclaim market share ceded in recent years to rivals such as US shale drillers.
—Salma El Wardany, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
Emotionally vulnerable men didn’t really gain prominence in the 2010s either — not when hope ceded so much ground to hate.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
TelevisaUnivision has been working to bolster its balance sheet after Alegre took its corporate reins of TelevisaUnivision from Wade Davis, the former Viacom CFO who orchestrated a buyout of Univision in 2020 before merging it with Mexico’s Grupo Televisa in 2022, ceded his CEO role to him.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
For decades, America ceded this control, a strategic blunder that left our security perilously dependent on China, which now dominates over 80% of the global supply chain.
—Markos Kounalakis, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Chalamet, while Marty’s best bet, has lately looked like less of a sure thing, while a win for Byrne would be a pleasant surprise in a race that pundits long ago ceded to Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The Neo brings that same approach to a part of the market Apple has mostly ceded for years — students, budget-conscious households and the many iPhone users who have never owned a Mac.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Instigated by the dictatorship invading territories long ago ceded to the English, the war was the new government’s futile attempt to restore a nationalist fantasy of Argentina’s borders (and distract from the country’s collapsing economy).
—Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
For almost a year, the Saudis and other key members have been engaged in an apparent push to reclaim market share ceded in recent years to rivals such as US shale drillers.
—Salma El Wardany, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
Emotionally vulnerable men didn’t really gain prominence in the 2010s either — not when hope ceded so much ground to hate.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
TelevisaUnivision has been working to bolster its balance sheet after Alegre took its corporate reins of TelevisaUnivision from Wade Davis, the former Viacom CFO who orchestrated a buyout of Univision in 2020 before merging it with Mexico’s Grupo Televisa in 2022, ceded his CEO role to him.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceded
Verb
-
China, historically the largest driver of the country’s overall trade deficit in goods, has relinquished its status in that regard.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Mar. 2026
-
And, in fact, a lot of that control is relinquished through their third-party Wi-Fi suppliers.—
Emily Cappiello,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, analysts say that this rollback in financial incentives might suppress demand for new EV purchases, as the market expects costs to invariably get transferred to consumers.—
Matthew Chin,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Barrels were rolled out to the airplane and gas transferred to our tanks in open pails.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Responsibility cannot be lost; it can only be abdicated.—
Rich Harwood,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
-
That means 4 out of every 5 fellow citizens of our state abdicated their civic responsibility.—
Otis Moss III,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While few details of the circumstances in this case have been made public, the animal control agency said the individual involved in the investigation has voluntarily surrendered the animals and the investigation is continuing.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, this sweet 3-year-old Labrador-mix is one of many pets who are sadly surrendered to valley shelters due to community-wide struggles — including housing instability.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Marzan was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines — a unit tasked with supplying troops with food, fuel, ammunition and equipment — and deployed to Kuwait to support the war effort.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
There are actually many ways to get your Known Traveler Number (KTN), the nine-digit number assigned to those approved for TSA PreCheck, and one of the easiest is by popping into your local Staples.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Before the wedding, Carolyn had resigned from her job at Calvin Klein, recognizing that her newfound fame was becoming more of a hindrance than a help.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Reilly replaced Richard Zimmerman, who resigned amid significant revenue losses and a slump in attendance at its amusement parks.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Thanks to a particle accelerator and a small cadre of dedicated scientists, the reference models are already in hand—rendered not in animation software but in micrometer-perfect anatomical form.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Whether rendered in a tailored dress or an evening gown, the neckline adds dimension to her otherwise minimalist wardrobe.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Manu Yaw Fofie was born into the cocoa farming business, but the land bequeathed to him has become more of a burden than a blessing.—
Edward Acquah,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
When Greville died, the earrings were bequeathed to the Queen Mother, who then, along with her husband King George VI, gave Princess Elizabeth the pair of earrings for her wedding day.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ceded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceded. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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